Advanced cooling system optimization algorithm development for building energy management

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The need for improved energy efficiency in buildings is increasing as concerns over GHG emissions rise and uncertainty over future energy costs. Monitoring of building systems is widely recognized as an important first step in improving and maintaining building energy efficiency by measuring and verifying actual performance. Once these monitoring systems are in place, the data collected can inform several energy management activities such as re-commissioning and fine-tuning of building controls. However, despite the high degree of research to develop artificial intelligence (AI)-supported controls systems, commercial systems are typically limited to simpler algorithms and require significant time to deploy and tailor these systems to a particular building, along with seasonal adjustment. Therefore, the development of automated control tuning using advanced AI approaches to permit online learning and seasonal adjustment is extremely desirable. ****This project focuses on a novel approach to implementing reinforcement learning into existing energy management algorithms for building controls. These algorithms modify temperature and equipment controls points based on past performance and optimal system characteristics. This approach will substantially decrease the deployment time for new buildings, reduce or eliminate human intervention for seasonal optimization changeover, and thus permit rapid scaling of this technology to the building portfolio level. ****In this project, we will develop two new generations of algorithms, building on existing models developed by the industry partner to incorporate the online learning described above. By working with existing facilities, the algorithms will be tested and deployed on pilot projects to confirm actual energy savings in real buildings. The long-term goal of this project is to improve the understanding of how the overall system can be optimized, thus permitting the integration of additional functionality such as on-site storage and renewable energy generation.