[stevehull]

Acurio,

"Anticipatory" HVAC is becoming more popular. This is essentially a "set back" (set forward?) thermostat coupled to environmental, demand, and other needs/loads.

First, you need to know the time constant of the system - which you understand. Next look at daily weekly and monthly averages as a first pass. For example, in some situations, cycling off the floor heat during the M-F daytime might be appropriate if the time constant for reheating is short enough.

Then there are weekend settings to contend with. Am I home or am I on holiday?

But you are right in the area where lots of research is going on. Wind farms are using exactly this concept to allow better utilization of changing (future) winds. There is a whole set of so called "fuzzy logic" that can be employed to couple likely future changes in temperatures with your zone valves.

Where I live in central Oklahoma, we are subject to significant temperature swings depending on the jet stream above. I have seen a 40 F drop, in just a couple hours, many times. The weather people plot this and tell you "when" the cold front arrives.

But integrating the predictive data into a logical zone on or off (or even harder, a proportional controller), can be tough.

What are your ideas to turn on (or off) your valves?

Look forward to hearing it.


Steve