Reinforcement learning for occupant behavior modeling in public buildings: Why, what and how?

Effective control of energy consumption in public buildings holds paramount significance for global sustainable development. However, uncertainty in occupant behavior during operational phase often leads to a substantial discrepancy between the designed and actual energy consumption. While there is existing research on occupant behavior in public buildings utilizing stochastic modeling, statistical modeling, data mining, and agent-based modeling methods, the connotations and formation mechanisms have not been systematically revealed, rendering these developed models weak in applicability and reliability in practical scenarios. Reinforcement learning, which can perceive aspects of external environment and learn from stochastic interactions spontaneously, has been distinguished as a promising method for occupant behavior modeling. This research aims to develop a paradigm for reinforcement learning application in occupant behavior modeling in public buildings. Semi-structured interviews and literature review were combined to collect relevant information, while reasons for using reinforcement learning and applicable algorithms were discerned through qualitative analysis. Finally, detailed frameworks were proposed and validated through focus groups, offering a comprehensive guide that will serve as a reference for future research. This includes steps for collecting occupant-related data, selecting appropriate algorithms, and training and deploying reinforcement learning agents effectively. This research innovatively proposed a "panorama" of reinforcement learning for occupant behavior modeling in public buildings, laying a solid foundation for indoor environment and energy efficiency improvement in public building operations.