Novel simulation concepts for buildings and community energy systems based on the Functional Mock-up Interface specification

Research and development in the fields of building technologies and community energy systems have caused in recent years a transition away from stand-alone components towards dynamically interacting systems. However, the precise modeling and simulation of such complex cyber-physical systems proves challenging for the established simulation tools. This paper illustrates the applicability of co-simulation and model exchange concepts based on the Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) specification for the simulation of buildings and community energy systems by comparing several state-of-the-art approaches. The presented applications thereby demonstrate the suitability and relevance of such modular and flexible simulation concepts for these fields. At the same time the importance of a common simulation interface is emphasized, which allows the reuse of individual components for a diverse range of applications.