Ventilation and Temperature Control for Energy-efficient and Healthy Buildings: A Differentiable PDE Approach

Abstract: In this paper, we introduce a novel framework for building learning and control, focusing on ventilation and thermal management to enhance energy efficiency. We validate the performance of the proposed framework in system model learning via two case studies: a synthetic study focusing on the joint learning of temperature and CO2 fields, and an application to a real-world dataset for CO2 field learning. For building control, we demonstrate that the proposed framework can optimize the control actions and significantly reduce the energy cost while maintaining a comfort and healthy indoor environment. When compared to existing traditional methods, an optimization-based method with ODE models and reinforcement learning, our approach can significantly reduce the energy consumption while guarantees all the safety-critical air quality and control constraints. Promising future research directions involve validating and improving the proposed PDE models through accurate estimation of airflow fields within indoor environments. Additionally, incorporating uncertainty modeling into the PDE framework for HVAC control presents an opportunity to enhance the efficiency and reliability of building HVAC system management.