ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 32
TECHNICAL FEATURE
Leveraging Machine
Learning to Optimize
Chiller Plant Controls
BY MICHAEL BERGER, MEMBER ASHRAE
Machine learning (ML) is one of the defining technologies of our era, yet its
application to HVAC controls is still in its infancy. At the same time, human-induced
climate change is well underway, and it is becoming increasingly important to
optimize HVAC operations to reduce energy consumption. In this article, we will
explore how ML and optimal control methods can be used for this purpose and
leverage the expert knowledge of engineers to deliver tangible value.
Terms such as artificial intelligence (AI) or ML have
become a mainstay in the daily news. However, these
technologies are still seldom applied in practice within
buildings and HVAC systems-and in particular when it
comes to improve efficiency by optimizing chiller plant
controls.1,2 Published research has not yet translated
into widespread acceptance into the building stock. Are
these technologies simply not a good fit in our field? Or
are there challenges to be identified and addressed?
One common question when considering applying AI
algorithms to HVAC controls systems is whether they
will improve the operation beyond simply replicating
the strategies of a well-designed conventional building
automation system (BAS). There has been significant
work in the industry recently to design and document
best-practice sequences of operations, most notably
with ASHRAE Guideline 36-2021.3 In some cases,
the sequence may already be at or near optimality.
An AI system that would take a global approach and
treat the whole system as a black box, with limited
expert knowledge of mechanical systems, may not
necessarily deliver energy savings, while potentially
decreasing transparency for facility managers. These
considerations may discourage stakeholders from
deploying AI systems in their buildings.
A more nuanced approach may be to attempt to
identify specific challenges that are not straightforward
to solve without predictive techniques and apply ML
methods in a more targeted manner. A number of these
challenges have been identified by collaborating with
experienced mechanical engineers and HVAC controls
specialists. First, in the chiller plant, there are variables
that result in trade-offs between equipment power
use. For example, varying the condenser pump speed
Michael Berger is the is the head of research & development at Conserve It in Melbourne, Australia.
32
ASHRAE JOURNAL ashrae.org A U G UST 2024
http://www.ashrae.org
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - August 2024
Contents
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - Intro
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - Cover1
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - Cover2
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 1
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - Contents
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 3
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 4
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 5
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 6
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 7
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 8
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 9
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 10
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 11
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 12
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 13
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 14
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 15
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 16
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 17
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 18
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 19
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 20
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 21
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 22
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 23
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 24
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 25
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 26
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 27
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 28
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 29
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 30
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 31
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 32
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 33
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 34
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 35
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 36
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 37
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 38
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 39
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 40
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 41
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 42
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 43
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 44
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 45
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 46
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 47
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 48
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 49
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 50
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 51
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 52
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 53
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 54
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 55
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 56
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 57
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 58
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 59
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 60
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 61
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 62
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 63
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 64
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 65
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 66
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 67
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 68
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 69
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 70
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 71
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - 72
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - Cover3
ASHRAE Journal - August 2024 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_FYONLJ
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2024november_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2024november
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_BDMHLG
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_WJDGRY
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_ATMAHK
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_VHQRAW
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_XGMDXI
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_YELQLJ
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_QJLWMC
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_MCDEBX
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_WNYSQY
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_XATVOD
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_FJSHSS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_CCBZDS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_XDEFVG
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2023november_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2023november
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_VHGNBL
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_WPKBNJ
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_UUVCDE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_RTGDEW
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraemexico_2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_LKRFXS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_AZSOFG
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_ERCDBH
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_QWDFRV
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_JHGVDF
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_OPUYHG
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_SREIBM
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_LRTGLK
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_OKRFGH
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2022november_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2022november
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_TZSERA
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_LVRUIX
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_RPTVYZ
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/mini_pub_catalog
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_XIYTGD
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraemexico_2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_RFGDOB
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_PABXNU
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_REMKLS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_PICVBT
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_AOYTVW
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_JQOPLS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_IOYTBC
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_SGAJJF
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_IGHYER
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_PDRKLS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2021november
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2021november_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_XCODFR
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_QSLFGO
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_ILKVNM
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraemexico_2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_OPDJKD
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_VJKSRY
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_SDHUTC
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_JPPKRR
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_SDLTTH
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_CKLLES
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_SLDOX
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_HJETUK
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_OLUHGE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2020october
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2020october_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_ZERDGH
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_QVMNEO
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_RTPOKE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_BBATRE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_STUBMW
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_TPEMPE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_JNMKDS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_FBTTPA
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_WQMMNE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_TVBRYN
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_showguide2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_KTUZMA
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_ABEDGD
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2019septmeber_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2019september
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_2019april
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_2019march
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201901
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_showguide2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_2018december
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_2018november
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2018fall_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2018fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_2018october
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraemexico_2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraeinsights_201806
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201805
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201804
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201803
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201711
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2017fall_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2017fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201705
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashrae_meetinginsert_201610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2016fall_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2016fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_acrexindia
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2015summer_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2015summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/amca/2014summer2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/amca/2014summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_acma_2014summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_acmasupp_2013fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/pubcatalog_2013winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/achr_expo_mexico2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201208_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201208_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/pubcatalog_2012summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/pubcatalog_2012winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201111_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201109_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/pubcatalog_2011summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201103
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com