Demand Response offers the possibility of altering the profile of power consumption of individual buildings or building districts for economic return. This is due to the potential of wide scale DR in minimizing investments, otherwise necessary for modernising the power grid, through enabling flexibility and advanced grid management options. Distributed Energy Resources (DER) and Demand Side Management (DSM) are gradually gaining attention as a valuable asset for reducing peak loads, maintaining grid balance, managing the volatility and high energy rejection associated with renewable technologies (i.e. wind, solar) thus increasing grid overall efficiency.
In this paper the potential for Demand Response (DR) optimization of the HVAC system in a Smart Near Zero Energy Industrial Building in Italy is investigated. The analysis involves a validated thermal building model, the model of energy cost and a methodology to establish the HVAC optimum preconditioning set point curve. Preheating and precooling is explored on hourly basis according to the dynamic state of the building, varying external climatic conditions and standard indoor comfort conditions. Optimisation aims at minimisation of the cost of energy using a Genetic Algorithm (GA) configuration under the current pricing scheme. The GA variables represent the discrete state of the HVAC hourly set points for 8 hours prior to the working hours of the building.  Results are thoroughly presented and analysed in an attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of the developed approach and potential applications in current pricing schemes.

Nikos Kampelis is a PhD candidate with a background in Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Technology & Innovation Management and Operational Research. Mr Kampelis has been involved in a number of research projects in the field of energy management using advanced smart building and settlements modelling, forecasting and control. Currently he is a member of the management and research team of Technical University of Crete for the Smart GEMS H2020 Marie Curie project. He has produced and participated in a number of scientific publications in international journals and conferences.