Application and evaluation of the evolutionary algorithms combined with conventional neural network to determine the building energy consumption of the residential sector

Abstract

Residential uses a significant amount of energy; hence, encouraging sustainability and lessening environmental effects requires minimizing energy consumption in this sector. This study focuses on applying and evaluating evolutionary algorithms combined with conventional neural networks to predict building energy consumption in the residential sector. The primary objectives were to assess the performance of three evolutionary algorithms – Heap-Based Optimizer (HBO), Multiverse Optimizer (MVO), and Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) – in comparison to each other and to determine their effectiveness in predicting energy consumption. Each algorithm was integrated into the neural network framework to optimize the prediction model. Training and testing datasets were employed to evaluate the performance of the models. Two key statistical indices, Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and R-squared (R2), were utilized to assess the accuracy of the predictions. The results of the evaluation demonstrated varying performances among the three evolutionary algorithms. MVO achieved the highest scores for both RMSE (48.55082 in training and 68.44517 in testing) and R2 (0.99184 in training and 0.98236 in testing) on both training and testing datasets, indicating superior predictive accuracy compared to HBO and WOA. These findings underscore the importance of algorithm selection in optimizing predictive models for energy consumption forecasting. Further research may explore hybrid approaches or parameter tuning to enhance the performance of evolutionary algorithms in this domain. Overall, this study contributes to advancing energy forecasting techniques, with potential implications for energy management and conservation efforts in the residential sector.