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This article presents the results of a 182 day implementation of a model predictive controller (MPC) in a test house in Ottawa, Canada. The MPC controls the timing of hydronic floor heating and cooling within the highly glazed house (13.5% south-facing window-to-floor ratio). The objectives of the MPC are to optimally control the on/off times of active heating and cooling to minimize energy use while also minimizing air temperature violations outside of a prescribed range. It was found that 71% of the days in the experimental period saw successful operation of the MPC towards these goals. Days that experienced overheating were found to be concentrated in January–February and days that experienced overcooling were found to be concentrated in March–May. Problematic decision making by the MPC was found to be rooted in 4 main issues: (1) global horizontal irradiance (GHI) is a bad indicator of passive solar on its own; (2) weather forecasting (specifically GHI forecasting) is critical to MPC success in highly glazed buildings; (3) the GHI history regressor used in the prediction model regularly influenced predictions illogically; and (4) the MPC lacked decision-making logic on the timing of hydronic floor cooling. • A model predictive controller was implemented in a highly glazed, full-scale, test house. • Performance of the model predictive controller was evaluated over 7 months. • The design of the MPC is simple and practical for implementation in a real building. • A recommendation is made on what a model predictive controller could look like for a highly glazed house. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]