Metamodel-Based Hyperparameter Optimization of Optimization Algorithms in Building Energy Optimization

Building energy optimization (BEO) is a promising technique to achieve energy efficient designs. The efficacy of optimization algorithms is imperative for the BEO technique and is significantly dependent on the algorithm hyperparameters. Currently, studies focusing on algorithm hyperparameters are scarce, and common agreement on how to set their values, especially for BEO problems, is still lacking. This study proposes a metamodel-based methodology for hyperparameter optimization of optimization algorithms applied in BEO. The aim is to maximize the algorithmic efficacy and avoid the failure of the BEO technique because of improper algorithm hyperparameter settings. The method consists of three consecutive steps: constructing the specific BEO problem, developing an ANN-trained metamodel of the problem, and optimizing algorithm hyperparameters with nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II). To verify the validity, 15 benchmark BEO problems with different properties, i.e., five building models and three design variable categories, were constructed for numerical experiments. For each problem, the hyperparameters of four commonly used algorithms, i.e., the genetic algorithm (GA), the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, simulated annealing (SA), and the multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA), were optimized. Results demonstrated that the MOGA benefited the most from hyperparameter optimization in terms of the quality of the obtained optimum, while PSO benefited the most in terms of the computing time.

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