Evaluation of artificial neural network-based temperature control for optimum operation of building envelopes

Abstract

This study aims at developing an indoor temperature control method that could provide comfortable thermal conditions by integrating heating system control and the opening conditions of building envelopes. Artificial neural network (ANN)-based temperature control logic was developed for the control of heating systems and openings at the building envelopes in a predictive and adaptive manner. Numerical comparative performance tests for the ANN-based temperature control logic and conventional non-ANN-based counterpart were conducted for single skin enveloped and double skin enveloped buildings after the simulation program was validated by comparing the simulation and the field measurement results. Analysis results revealed that the ANN-based control logic improved the indoor temperature environment with an increased comfortable temperature period and decreased overshoot and undershoot of temperatures outside of the operating range. The proposed logic did not show significant superiority in energy efficiency over the conventional logic. The ANN-based temperature control logic was able to maintain the indoor temperature more comfortably and with more stability within the operating range due to the predictive and adaptive features of ANN models.