Buildings are becoming smarter through the deployment of intelligent and energy-efficient technologies that reduce energy consumption while making buildings easier to manage and operate. Demand for lighting systems, efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), as well as other types of hardware such as controls and sub-meters, is growing rapidly that needs more attention in terms of the energy efficiency. Moreover, the energy management of micro-generation or poly-generation system has always been very complex. Keeping the balance between demand and production is a challenging task for researchers. This paper investigates a simple yet very effective and intelligent demand response algorithm to mitigate the intermittency problem, providing an uninterrupted power supply to the users. The developed algorithm is fully capable of balancing the consumption and the production by controlling the user predefined load patterns that is based on the state of charge (SOC) of the storage system. The algorithm is tested on a microgrid system that consists of different loads, six photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, a small wind turbine system, and a set of lead-acid battery banks. The experimental result shows the maximum use of renewable energy while reducing the peak demand, cost of end-users and low or no carbon emissions. To achieve a significant reduction in energy consumption as well as to keep the balance between production and demand, this algorithm can be implemented for the efficient use of intermittent renewable energy sources. INDEX TERMS Building automation system, demand response, demand side management, distributed energy system, intelligent building, renewable energy, zero energy building. NOMENCLATURE

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This study addresses the thermal and energy performance assessment of a Building Integrated Photovoltaic Thermal (BIPVT) system installed on the façade of a test room in Solar XXI, a Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) located in Lisbon, Portugal. A numerical analysis using the dynamic simulation tool EnergyPlus was carried out for assessing the performance of the test room with the BIPVT integrated on its façade through a parametric analysis of 14 scenarios in two conditions: a) receiving direct solar gains on the glazing surface and b) avoiding direct solar gains on the glazing surface. Additionally, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of the BIPVT system was performed using ANSYS Fluent. The findings of this work demonstrate that the BIPVT has a good potential to improve the sustainability of the building by reducing the nominal energy needs to achieve thermal comfort, reducing up to 48% the total energy needs for heating and cooling compared to the base case. The operation mode must be adjusted to the other strategies already implemented in the room (e.g., the presence of windows and blinds to control direct solar gains), and the automatic operation mode has proven to have a better performance in the scope of this work.