University campuses represent complex microgrids with highly stochastic energy demands driven by fluctuating occupancy and diverse building functions. Traditional Building Management Systems (BMS) often operate on static, reactive schedules, leading to significant energy waste. This paper proposes a novel Digital Twin (DT) framework integrated with Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks to enable proactive energy optimization. The system leverages an IoT sensor network to collect real-time environmental and electrical data, which is synchronized with a virtual replica of the campus building. The core of the DT is an ensemble of LSTM models tailored for different room types (e.g., lecture halls, laboratories), capable of capturing long-term temporal dependencies in energy consumption patterns. Experimental results conducted at a university facility demonstrate that the proposed LSTM model achieves a high prediction accuracy with a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.97. By integrating these predictions into an automated HVAC and lighting control strategy, the system achieved a 22% reduction in total energy consumption compared to baseline operations. This research contributes a scalable, data-driven architecture for transitioning university campuses toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through intelligent energy management.
Keywords
Digital TwinEnergy ManagementIoTLSTMPredictive ControlSmart Building
References
Y. Himeur et al., “Artificial intelligence-based anomaly detection of energy consumption in buildings: A review, current trends and new perspectives,” Applied Energy, vol. 287, p. 116601, 2021.
Z. Liu, Y. Meynants, I. Santos, and H. Janssen, “Digital Twin for building energy management: A review of the state-of-the-art,” Energy and Buildings, vol. 301, p. 113676, 2023.
A. F. Al-Sumaiti, M. A. A. Tawalbeh, M. Diab, and I. Tawalbeh, “A review of digital twin in the energy sector: State-of-the-art, applications, and challenges,” Energy Strategy Reviews, vol. 53, p. 101370, 2024.
D. Op’t Veld, M. E. T. Gerards, and B. J. H. van der Velden, “The role of digital twins in the energy transition: A review of the market, technology, and challenges,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 165, p. 112586, 2022.
W. Sun, Z. Huang, and Y. Wang, “A comparative study of machine learning algorithms for building energy consumption prediction,” Energy and Buildings, vol. 261, p. 111956, 2022.
S. Al-Qaness, M. A. A. Al-Ali, and H. J. Al-Ariki, “A multi-stage LSTM model for energy consumption forecasting in smart buildings,” Applied Soft Computing, vol. 128, p. 109462, 2022.
P. P. R. da Silva, A. M. Lezama, and G. D. A. e Castro, “IoT-based platform for energy management in university buildings using open-source technologies,” Journal of Building Engineering, vol. 44, p. 103282, 2021.
S. Ullah, J. Ahmad, I. U. Haq, S. Rho, and M. A. Al-Rakhami, “A novel deep learning-based framework for energy consumption forecasting in a smart grid,” IEEE Access, vol. 8, pp. 182638-182650, 2020.
A. Baregheh, M. A. A. Al-Qaness, and M. I. Al-Hassan, “A hybrid CNN-LSTM model for multi-step ahead energy demand forecasting,” IEEE Access, vol. 9, pp. 64239-64251, 2021.
F. Bu, Z. Wang, Y. Liu, and K. J. Li, “A transformer-based model for short-term load forecasting in integrated energy systems,” IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 623-635, 2021.
S. Sulaymanov, M. Talipov, R. Razikov, O. Ilyasov, and O. Kovaleva, “Protection of the Environment from Pollution by Wastewater from Railway Transport Using Natural Sorbents,” in ICTEA: International Conference on Thermal Engineering, vol. 1, no. 1, Jun. 2024.
E. Shipacheva, S. Shaumarov, A. Gulamov, and M. Talipov, “Modeling of Interaction of External Enclosing Structures of Buildings with the Internal and External Environments,” in ICTEA: International Conference on Thermal Engineering, vol. 1, no. 1, Jun. 2024.
E. Madaliev et al., “Numerical study of axisymmetrical transsonic impact based on the SST turbulence model,” BIO Web of Conferences, vol. 145, p. 03034, Jan. 2024, [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1051/bioconf/202414503034.