An overview of machine learning applications for smart buildings

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openAccess

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Journal Title

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Volume Title

A2 Katsausartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä

Date

2022-01

Major/Subject

Mcode

Degree programme

Language

en

Pages

12

Series

Sustainable Cities and Society, Volume 76

Abstract

The efficiency, flexibility, and resilience of building-integrated energy systems are challenged by unpredicted changes in operational environments due to climate change and its consequences. On the other hand, the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) has equipped buildings with an ability to learn. A lot of research has been dedicated to specific machine learning applications for specific phases of a building's life-cycle. The reviews commonly take a specific, technological perspective without a vision for the integration of smart technologies at the level of the whole system. Especially, there is a lack of discussion on the roles of autonomous AI agents and training environments for boosting the learning process in complex and abruptly changing operational environments. This review article discusses the learning ability of buildings with a system-level perspective and presents an overview of autonomous machine learning applications that make independent decisions for building energy management. We conclude that the buildings’ adaptability to unpredicted changes can be enhanced at the system level through AI-initiated learning processes and by using digital twins as training environments. The greatest potential for energy efficiency improvement is achieved by integrating adaptability solutions at the timescales of HVAC control and electricity market participation.

Description

Funding Information: This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors

Keywords

Energy efficiency, HVAC, Intelligent building, Learning, Reinforcement learning, Smart building

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Citation

Alanne, K & Sierla, S 2022, ' An overview of machine learning applications for smart buildings ', Sustainable Cities and Society, vol. 76, 103445 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2021.103445