Building Energy Consumption Prediction Through EnergyPlus-MATLAB Co-Simulation

This study presents an integrated energy simulation approach for predicting building energy consumption, using EnergyPlus-MATLAB co-simulation and actual weather data. This approach provides the indoor realtime temperature setpoints application via Simulink, using the ExternalInterface feature to control the simulated heating system. Heat transfer through opaque walls is modeled using the Conduction Transfer Function (CTF) algorithm embedded in EnergyPlus, known for its ability to capture transient conduction in multilayer constructions. The practical evaluation of this approach was carried out on a real multipurpose building located in Alfortville, France. The building geometry was modeled in OpenStudio and simulated in EnergyPlus with a 10-minute time step. The analysis was conducted over the month of April, enabling evaluation of the building's thermal behavior under real climate conditions. The method enabled model assessment through comparison with real on-site data measurements. The results show that the simulation accurately produces observed energy dynamics, the validation of control scenarios in existing buildings and confirming the relevance of this approach for precise energy prediction for further energy transition application.