A lightweight numerical model for predictive control of borehole thermal energy storages

Abstract: Borehole thermal energy storage (BTES) can reduce the operation of fossil fuel-based heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems for buildings. With BTES, thermal energy is stored via a borehole heat exchanger in the ground. Model predictive control (MPC) may maximize the use of BTES by achieving a dynamic interaction between the building and BTES. However, modeling BTES for MPC is challenging, and a trade-off between model accuracy and an easy-to-solve optimal control problem (OCP) must be found. This manuscript presents an accurate numerical model yielding an easy-to-solve linear-quadratic OCP.