This report describes the activities envisaged in the program of a three-year research project aimed at promoting efficient solutions capable of reducing primary energy consumption in complex ‘building-plant-user’ systems in the residential sector, and especially in those equipped with small-scale air conditioning assisted by renewable sources, in the broader context of initiatives aimed at decarbonizing the energy sector.

The three-year project involves testing the consumption of an ‘efficient and smart building’ and the development of a Smart Energy Manager (SEM) system which, using Machine Learning (ML) and Model Predictive Control (MPC) techniques, allows users to optimize the energy consumption of a single building by minimizing the withdrawal of electricity from the network and maximizing the performance of the air conditioning system and electricity self-consumption. All this taking into account user behavior, weather forecasts and the thermophysical characteristics of the building. In order to achieve these results, the creation of a specific laboratory was planned, consisting of a building of approximately 100 m², specially equipped to simulate the typical consumption and performance of an all-electric building intended for residential use. The experimental laboratory was planned and set up at RSE headquarters in Piacenza during the first year of project activity.

This report describes the project activities carried out in the second year which led to the completion of the laboratory equipment and the fine-tuning of the data acquisition and load control system. The profiles of the main electrical loads have been determined, in particular those due to air conditioning, which will be used for training the SEM system. A technical-economic sizing study of a photovoltaic system for an ‘all electric’ home was carried out, also evaluating the possibility of creating an electric storage. Finally, the AIACE [Italian acronym for integrated activities for comfortable and efficient housing] dissemination initiative was launched, with the creation of a short introductory video on the topic of energy efficiency in the residential sector and the creation of a 3D multimedia environment was started in which the various technologies useful for reducing home consumption can be viewed.