Demand Flexibility Controls Library using Semantics (DFLEXLIBS)

DFLEXLIBS is a library/repository of HVAC-based demand flexibility control applications developed using Python. The library is based on portable control applications that exclusively contain control logic and are abstract to building details, such as point names and communication protocols. The library leverages semantic models and control platform-oriented interfaces to configure and run the controls in specific buildings. The library contains several control and analytic applications and has been demonstrated in two interfaces (for BOPTEST and VOLTTRON) across five heterogeneous buildings.

Getting Started

To access the library, follow these steps:

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/LBNL-ETA/DFLEXLIBS.git 
   

2. Install the library and dependencies

   Install the controls library using the development mode. Run the following command:

   python setup.py develop
   

   Install the required dependencies by using the requirements.txt file. Run the following command:

   pip install -r requirements.txt
   

   Create a virtual environment with the controls package and other required dependencies using pipenv. Run the following command:

   pipenv install --dev
   

Validating BOPTEST Examples

To run BOPTEST examples, follow these steps:

1. Open the _examples/boptest/validation directory.

2. Run the validation

   Open control_validation.ipynb module, select a testcase and run the code. Check all valid controls for that test.

Running BOPTEST Examples

1. Open the _examples/boptest directory.

2. Run the simulation

   Select a testcase and a control application that is suitable for the test case and run the simulation.ipynb module. It will first run the test case baseline control and generate datasets (csv). Then it will run the proposed DF control application and generate datasets (csv). You can see the datasets and generate plots of the tested applications in the results directories for each test case.

Generating KPIs from Annex 81 Energy Flexibility KPIs

1. Open the _analytics directory.

2. Run the analytic apps

   Open kpis_calculation.ipynb module, select a testcase and control, run the code.

3. Check the results

   Open the _analytics/results directory and check the results from each test case for each control application. Individual analytic results is saved within each testcase directory for each control.

Contributing

If you are interested in contributing to the library:

• You are welcome to report any issues in Issues.
• You are also welcome to follow the Contribution Guide for:
  • Creating new control functions and applications
  • Running the control applications reusing the available interfaces (BOPTEST and VOLTTRON)
  • Creating new interfaces to run the applications in other control platforms/environments

Copyright Notice

Demand Flexibility Controls Library using Semantics (DFLEXLIBS) Copyright (c) 2023, The Regents of the University of California, through Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (subject to receipt of any required approvals from the U.S. Dept. of Energy). All rights reserved.

If you have questions about your rights to use or distribute this software, please contact Berkeley Lab's Intellectual Property Office at [email protected].

NOTICE. This Software was developed under funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Government consequently retains certain rights. As such, the U.S. Government has been granted for itself and others acting on its behalf a paid-up, nonexclusive, irrevocable, worldwide license in the Software to reproduce, distribute copies to the public, prepare derivative works, and perform publicly and display publicly, and to permit others to do so.

License

DFLEXLIBS is available under the following open-source license.

Related Publications

de Andrade Pereira, Flavia; Paul, Lazlo; Pritoni, Marco; Casillas, Armando; Prakash, Anand; Huang, Weiping; Shaw, Conor; Martín-Toral, Susana; Finn, Donal; O’Donnell, James. Enabling portable demand flexibility control applications in virtual and real buildings, Journal of Building Engineering, Volume 86, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2024.108645.

Paul, Lazlo; De Andrade Pereira, Flavia; Ham, Sang woo;Pritoni, Marco; Brown, Rich; Feng, Jingjuan Dove. Open Building Operating System: an Open-Source Grid Responsive Control Platform for Buildings (2023). ASHRAE Annual Conference 2023.

de Andrade Pereira, Flavia; Pritoni, Marco; Martín-Toral, Susana; Finn, Donal; O’Donnell, James. A semantics-driven framework for scalable demand flexibility control applications (2023). Proceedings of the 2023 European Conference on Computing in Construction and the 40th International CIB W78 Conference. http://www.doi.org/10.35490/EC3.2023.341