Building system with air quality control based on energy, mold risk, and productivity modeling

Abstract

A controller for HVAC equipment operable to affect an environmental condition of a building includes memory storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to obtain one or more predictive models to predict values of an air quality control objective and another control objective as a function of control decision variables for the equipment, execute an optimization process using the one or more predictive models to produce multiple sets of optimization results corresponding to different values of the control decision variables, the air quality control objective, and the other control objective, select one or more of the sets of optimization results based on the values of the air quality control objective and the other control objective, and operate the equipment to affect the environmental condition of the building in accordance with the values of the control decision variables corresponding to a selected set of the optimization results.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A controller for heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) equipment operable to affect an environmental condition of a building, the controller comprising:
 one or more processors; and   memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 obtaining one or more predictive models configured to predict values of an air quality control objective and another control objective as a function of control decision variables for the HVAC equipment; 
 executing an optimization process using the one or more predictive models to produce multiple sets of optimization results corresponding to different values of the control decision variables, the air quality control objective, and the other control objective; 
 selecting one or more of the sets of optimization results based on the values of the air quality control objective and the other control objective; and 
 operating the HVAC equipment to affect the environmental condition of the building in accordance with the values of the control decision variables corresponding to a selected set of the optimization results. 
   
     
     
         2 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein the air quality control objective comprises a mold risk control objective and the other control objective comprises at least one of an operating cost predicted to result from operating the HVAC equipment in accordance with the control decision variables or a capital cost of purchasing or installing the HVAC equipment. 
     
     
         3 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein the air quality control objective comprises a mold risk control objective and the other control objective comprises an infection risk predicted to result from operating the HVAC equipment in accordance with the control decision variables. 
     
     
         4 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein the air quality control objective comprises a productivity control objective and the other control objective comprises an energy consumption or energy cost predicted to result from operating the HVAC equipment in accordance with the control decision variables. 
     
     
         5 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein the air quality control objective comprises a productivity control objective and the other control objective comprises at least one of an operating cost predicted to result from operating the HVAC equipment in accordance with the control decision variables or a capital cost of purchasing or installing the HVAC equipment. 
     
     
         6 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein the air quality control objective comprises a productivity control objective and the one or more predictive models are configured to predict values of a productivity score predicted to result from operating the HVAC equipment in accordance with the control decision variables. 
     
     
         7 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein executing the optimization process comprises executing multiple optimization processes using different sets of constraints for the control decision variables or different search spaces for the control decision variables, the multiple optimization processes producing corresponding sets of the multiple sets of optimization results. 
     
     
         8 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein selecting one or more of the sets of optimization results comprises selecting one or more of the sets of optimization results for which the values of the air quality control objective and the other control objective are not both improved by another of the sets of optimization results. 
     
     
         9 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein selecting one or more of the sets of optimization results comprises:
 classifying the multiple sets of optimization results as either Pareto-optimal optimization results or non-Pareto-optimal optimization results with respect to the air quality control objective and the other control objective; and   selecting the Pareto-optimal optimization results.   
     
     
         10 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein selecting one or more of the sets of optimization results comprises selecting:
 a first set of optimization results that prioritizes the air quality control objective over the other control objective;   a second set of optimization results that prioritizes the other control objective over the air quality control objective; and   a third set of optimization results that balances the air quality control objective and the other control objective.   
     
     
         11 . The controller of  claim 10 , the operations further comprising:
 presenting the values of the air quality control objective and the other control objective associated with the first set of optimization results, the second set of optimization results, and the third set of optimization results as selectable options via a user interface; and   determining the selected set of the optimization results responsive to a user selecting one of the selectable options via the user interface.   
     
     
         12 . A method for controlling heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) equipment operable to affect an environmental condition of a building, comprising:
 obtaining, by one or more processors, one or more predictive models configured to predict values of an air quality control objective and another control objective as a function of control decision variables for the HVAC equipment;   executing, by one or more processors, an optimization process using the one or more predictive models to produce multiple sets of optimization results corresponding to different values of the control decision variables, the air quality control objective, and the other control objective;   selecting, by one or more processors, one or more of the sets of optimization results based on the values of the air quality control objective and the other control objective; and   operating, by one or more processors, the HVAC equipment to affect the environmental condition of the building in accordance with the values of the control decision variables corresponding to a selected set of the optimization results.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the air quality control objective comprises a mold risk control objective and the other control objective comprises at least one of: an operating cost predicted to result from operating the HVAC equipment in accordance with the control decision variables, a capital cost of purchasing or installing the HVAC equipment, or an infection risk predicted to result from operating the HVAC equipment in accordance with the control decision variables. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the air quality control objective comprises a productivity control objective and the other control objective comprises at least one of: an energy consumption or energy cost predicted to result from operating the HVAC equipment in accordance with the control decision variables, an operating cost predicted to result from operating the HVAC equipment in accordance with the control decision variables, or a capital cost of purchasing or installing the HVAC equipment. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein executing the optimization process comprises executing, by the one or more processors, multiple optimization processes using different sets of constraints for the control decision variables or different search spaces for the control decision variables, the multiple optimization processes producing corresponding sets of the multiple sets of optimization results. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein selecting one or more of the sets of optimization results comprises selecting, by the one or more processors, one or more of the sets of optimization results for which the values of the air quality control objective and the other control objective are not both improved by another of the sets of optimization results. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein selecting one or more of the sets of optimization results comprises:
 classifying, by the one or more processors, the multiple sets of optimization results as either Pareto-optimal optimization results or non-Pareto-optimal optimization results with respect to the air quality control objective and the other control objective; and   selecting, by the one or more processors, the Pareto-optimal optimization results.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein selecting one or more of the sets of optimization results comprises selecting, by the one or more processors:
 a first set of optimization results that prioritizes the air quality control objective over the other control objective;   a second set of optimization results that prioritizes the other control objective over the air quality control objective; and   a third set of optimization results that balances the air quality control objective and the other control objective.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 presenting, by the one or more processors, the values of the air quality control objective and the other control objective associated with the first set of optimization results, the second set of optimization results, and the third set of optimization results as selectable options via a user interface; and   determining, by the one or more processors, the selected set of the optimization results responsive to a user selecting one of the selectable options via the user interface.   
     
     
         20 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media for controlling heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) equipment operable to affect an environmental condition of a building storing instructions thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 obtain one or more predictive models configured to predict values of an air quality control objective and another control objective as a function of control decision variables for the HVAC equipment;   execute an optimization process using the one or more predictive models to produce multiple sets of optimization results corresponding to different values of the control decision variables, the air quality control objective, and the other control objective;   select one or more of the sets of optimization results based on the values of the air quality control objective and the other control objective; and   operate the HVAC equipment to affect the environmental condition of the building in accordance with the values of the control decision variables corresponding to a selected set of the optimization results.