Volume 58

A Review of VES-Integrated Optimized Operation for Building HVAC Systems Wenya Xu, Yingjun Ruan, Hua Meng, Tingting Xu, Yuting Yao, Chaoliang Wang, Wei Liu

Abstract

The virtual energy storage (VES) characteristics inherent to buildings are the primary contributor to the nonlinear behavior of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) loads. Investigating strategies between VES and HVAC operations in demand-side management remains a critical research focus. This review addresses the integration of VES into optimized regulation frameworks for building HVAC systems. First, two prevalent VES modeling approaches are discussed: physics-based methods, which utilize heat balance equations, and data-driven techniques, which excel in representing the nonlinear dynamics and coupled interactions of VES. Second, a systematic analysis of quantitative VES metrics, including the three primary categories of evaluation parameters, such as differential power and time, is provided. The paper critically evaluates current research on VES-integrated HVAC operational strategies. Results indicate that while model predictive control achieves high reliability, its practicality is limited by its reliance on a priori expertise. Conversely, model-free predictive control demonstrates superior adaptability to VES nonlinearity. Finally, the paper identifies future research directions and proposes a technical framework to address existing challenges, offering insights for enhancing the operational efficiency of VES-integrated HVAC systems.

Keywords HVAC, virtual energy storage, demand response, optimized operation