Etienne Saloux
I have been a research scientist at CanmetENERGY in Varennes (Quebec), Natural Resources Canada, since 2017. I hold a Ph.D. in Energy Engineering from Polytechnique Montréal and a Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering from ISAE-Supméca (France).
I work in the field of advanced control optimization for commercial and institutional buildings and district heating systems. I develop algorithms that aim to improve their operational performance and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These algorithms are primarily based on the analysis of operational data and the development of advanced modelling and optimization techniques.
My expertise also includes heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in buildings, renewable energy, thermal storage, solar collectors, heat pumps, PV panels, organic Rankine cycles, big data analysis methods and machine learning.
Current research and/or projects
I am participating in the development of advanced control strategies that optimize the operation of buildings and district energy systems to reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, peak power and operational costs and improve energy flexibility.
Research and/or project statements
- Develop virtual energy meters to analyze energy distribution in buildings and detect inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement
- Develop building and energy system archetypes to test control strategies for a large range of buildings equipped with various heating and cooling systems
- Develop model-based control strategies and predictive control strategies (using forecasts of weather, occupancy, energy costs and electric grid carbon intensity) to optimize the performance of heating and cooling equipment
- Implement the strategies developed in existing buildings
- Develop methods to evaluate post-implementation performance
Professional activities / interests
- Disseminate scientific research results by writing articles for journals and participating in conferences in the field of energy
- Transfer the knowledge acquired through the research to the public and private sectors and to the general public
- Participate in international initiatives associated with research and innovation in the field of energy
- Participate in the organization of conferences as a member of the Technical and Scientific Committee, and support the scientific research community as a technical reviewer and editor for scientific journals and an external examiner for Master and Doctoral theses
Education and awards
Education
- Ph.D. In Energy Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Canada, 2014
- Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering, ISAE-Supméca, France, 2010
Awards
- Recognition of Living Leadership, Innovation and Energy Technology Sector Award (Natural Resources Canada), 2019
- Award for research excellence in district heating and cooling, International Energy Agency (IEA) Technology Collaboration Programme on District Heating and Cooling (IEA DHC CHP), 2018
- Special recommendation for the Best Ph.D. Thesis Award, 2014
- Nominations for the Best Teaching Assistant Award (2012) and Best Lecturer Award (2014) in the Engineering Physics Department, Polytechnique Montréal
International experience and/or work
Lecturer (2nd and 3rd cycle) – Polytechnique Montréal – Montréal – Canada, 2014-2023
- Develop material on district heating and cooling for the course on transportation and use of energy
- Present the portion of the course on district heating and cooling to 40-50 students
- Write and correct homework and exams
Energy Researcher – Université de Sherbrooke – Sherbrooke – Canada, 2015-2016
- Analyze the operation and performance of organic Rankine cycles, including refrigerant selection, dynamic modelling and control methods for heat recovery applications
- Develop models of these systems and methods to optimize their operation
- Write scientific publications on the organic Rankine cycle optimization
- Supervise an undergraduate student during his internship
Energy Researcher – Polytechnique Montréal – Montréal – Canada, 2014-2015
- Analyze the operation and performance of a seawater desalination system to produce drinking water and cooling and optimize its operation
- Evaluate the integration and performance of this system in liquefied natural gas regasification plants
- Write reports on system performance
Teaching assistant and lecturer (undergraduate) – Polytechnique Montréal – Montréal – Canada, 2010-2014
- Prepare and present the lectures and labs for the general mechanics course to 100-250 students
- Prepare and present a portion of the course on energy conversion to 30-50 students
- Write and correct exams
Ph. D. student – Polytechnique Montréal – Montréal – Canada, 2009-2014
- Analyze the operation and performance of heating equipment for residential homes, including PV panels, solar collectors, heat pumps, thermal energy storage and back-up heating systems
- Develop advanced thermodynamic models of the different systems and determine the optimal combination of systems in accordance with energy, exergy and economic criteria
- Write scientific publications
- Supervise undergraduate students during their internship
Research and Development Engineer – Mercedes Benz – Stuttgart – Germany, 2008
- Evaluate the integration opportunities for the electric motor in hybrid vehicles
- Size the integration of power electronics on combustion engines using a computer-aided design software and test the integration in different types of hybrid vehicles
- Participate in meetings with the different departments involved in hybrid vehicle research and development
Additional links
Key publications
- Saloux, E.; Zhang, K.; Candanedo, J.A. A Critical Perspective on Current Research Trends in Building Operation: Pressing Challenges and Promising Opportunities. Buildings 2023, 13, 2566, doi.org/10.3390/buildings13102566
- Cotrufo, N.; Saloux, E.; Hardy, J.M.; Candanedo, J.A.; Platon, R. A Practical Artificial Intelligence-Based Approach for Predictive Control in Commercial and Institutional Buildings. Energy and Buildings 2020, 206, 109563, doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2019.109563
- Saloux, E.; Candanedo, J.A. Model-based predictive control to minimize primary energy use in a solar district heating system with seasonal thermal energy storage. Applied Energy 2021, 291, doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.116840
- Saloux, E.; Zhang, K. Towards Integration of Virtual Meters into Building Energy Management Systems: Development and Assessment of Thermal Meters for Cooling. Journal of Building Engineering 2022, 105785, doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2022.105785
- Runge, J.; Saloux, E. A comparison of prediction and forecasting artificial intelligence models to estimate the future energy demand in a district heating system. Energy 2023, 269, 126661, doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2023.126661
- Saloux, E.; Zhang, K. Data-driven model-based control strategies to improve the cooling performance of commercial and institutional buildings. Buildings 2023, 13, 474, doi.org/10.3390/buildings13020474
Contact
Research facility
ORCIDExpertise
Affiliations
- Polytechnique Montréal (Canada)
- ISAE-Supméca (France)