Performance comparison of occupancy count estimation and prediction with common versus dedicated sensors for building model predictive control

Model predictive control is a promising approach to optimize the operation of building systems and provide demand-response functionalities without compromising indoor comfort. The performance of model predictive control relies, among other things, on the quality of weather forecasts and building occupancy predictions. The present study compares the accuracy and computational demand of two occupancy estimation and prediction approaches suitable for building model predictive control: (1) count prediction based on indoor climate modeling and parameter estimation “using common sensors”, (2) count prediction based on data from 3D stereovision camera. The performance of the two approaches was tested in two rooms of a case study building. The results show that the method with dedicated sensors outperforms common sensors. However, if a building is not equipped with dedicated sensors, the present study shows that the common sensor method can be a satisfactory alternative to be used in model predictive control.