A Critical Perspective on Current Research Trends in Building Operation: Pressing Challenges and Promising Opportunities

Abstract

Despite the development of increasingly efficient technologies and the ever-growing amount of available data from Building Automation Systems (BAS) and connected devices, buildings are still far from reaching their performance potential due to inadequate controls and suboptimal operation sequences. Advanced control methods such as model-based controls or model-based predictive controls (MPC) are widely acknowledged as effective solutions for improving building operation. Although they have been well-investigated in the past, their widespread adoption has yet to be reached. Based on our experience in this field, this paper aims to provide a broader perspective on research trends on advanced controls in the built environment to researchers and practitioners, as well as to newcomers in the field. Pressing challenges are explored, such as inefficient local controls (which must be addressed in priority) and data availability and quality (not as good as expected, despite the advent of the digital era). Other major hurdles that slow down the large-scale adoption of advanced controls include communication issues with BAS and lack of guidelines and standards tailored for controls. To encourage their uptake, cost-effective solutions and successful case studies are required, which need to be further supported by better training and engagement between the industry and research communities. This paper also discusses promising opportunities: while building modelling is already playing a critical role, data-driven methods and data analytics are becoming a popular option to improve buildings controls. High-performance local and supervisory controls have emerged as promising solutions. Energy flexibility appears instrumental in achieving decarbonization targets in the built environment.

Practical Applications of Model Predictive Control and Other Advanced Control Methods in the Built Environment: An Overview of the Special Issue

“…The field of building operation is undergoing a paradigm shift; buildings are evolving from being passive and reactive, simply responding after a change occurs, to being dynamic and proactive, detecting and correcting inefficiencies, anticipating changes, and adjusting the operation accordingly. The ever-increasing availability of operational data on buildings and the significant advancements in modelling capabilities represent an untapped opportunity to better manage and operate buildings [1].…”

“…Despite extensive investigation in the past, widespread adoption has yet to be realized. Existing buildings are inherently imperfect and may present obstacles to the implementation of advanced controls that might not be encountered in simulation studies; these include, among others flaws and inefficiencies in existing controls, a lack of data for critical variables and communication issues with the building automation system or external services [1]. These barriers may significantly affect the development of advanced control strategies and, thus, their deployment in actual buildings.…”

“…Figure 1 illustrates the various topics explored in the Special Issue with a word cloud plot based on titles and abstracts. The opening article by Saloux et al [1] is a perspective paper focusing on current research trends in the field of building operation. The authors explored pressing challenges and identified inefficient local controls, inadequate data availability and quality, communication issues with the building automation system, and the lack of guidelines and standards tailored for controls as critical obstacles to the widespread adoption of advanced controls.…”

“…Norouzi et al [3] studied the application of deep learning algorithms to predict indoor air temperatures in educational buildings as part of a broader project toward the development of a digital twin for HVAC systems. They explored five algorithms (extra trees, random forest, multilayer perceptron, LSTM, and convolutional neural networks) along with different sliding windows (i.e., inputs at previous time steps; up to 120 min) The opening article by Saloux et al [1] is a perspective paper focusing on current research trends in the field of building operation. The authors explored pressing challenges and identified inefficient local controls, inadequate data availability and quality, communication issues with the building automation system, and the lack of guidelines and standards tailored for controls as critical obstacles to the widespread adoption of advanced controls.…”

“…The eleven articles published in the Special Issue showcase just a few of the practical data-driven solutions that can be developed to encourage the widespread adoption of advanced controls in buildings. In the context of climate change, building performance targets are slightly reoriented from energy efficiency to decarbonization, where energy flexibility plays a pivotal role [1]. Virtual sensors [2] are emerging as a credible, cost-effective alternative to physical sensors for tracking critical variables, while datadriven modelling is becoming the cornerstone of many advanced control strategies [1].…”