Towards a self-tuned data analytics-based process for an automatic context-aware detection and diagnosis of anomalies in building energy consumption timeseries

• Published in: Energy and buildings Vol. 270; p. 112302
• Main Authors: Chiosa, Roberto, Piscitelli, Marco Savino, Fan, Cheng, Capozzoli, Alfonso
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.09.2022
• Subjects: Anomaly detection and diagnosis; Building energy consumption; Contextual matrix profile; Timeseries analytics; Anomaly detection and diagnosis; Building energy consumption; Timeseries analytics; Contextual matrix profile
• ISSN: 0378-7788
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2022.112302

•Meter-level anomaly detection and diagnosis is performed through CMP algorithm.•CMP parameters are automatically set using supervised and unsupervised methods.•A severity score, based on 4 statistical methods, is used to recognize anomalies.•55 anomalous energy consumption patterns are discovered in a one-year timeseries.•Anomalies at meter-level are diagnosed by exploiting information at sub-load level. Recently, the spread of IoT technologies has led to an unprecedented acquisition of energy-related data providing accessible knowledge on the actual performance of buildings during their operation. A proper analysis of such data supports energy and facility managers in spotting valuable energy saving opportunities. In this context, anomaly detection and diagnosis (ADD) tools allow a prompt and automatic recognition of abnormal and non-optimal energy performance patterns enabling a better decision-making to reduce energy wastes and system inefficiencies. To this aim, this paper introduces a novel meter-level ADD process capable to identify energy consumption anomalies at meter-level and perform diagnosis by exploiting information at sub-load level. The process leverages supervised and unsupervised analytics techniques coupled with the distance-based contextual matrix profile (CMP) algorithm to discover infrequent subsequences in energy consumption timeseries considering specific boundary conditions. The proposed process has self-tuning capabilities and can rank anomalies at both meter and sub-load level by means of robust severity score. The methodology is tested on one-year energy consumption timeseries of a medium/low voltage transformation cabin of the university campus of Politecnico di Torino leading to the detection of 55 anomalous subsequences that are diagnosed by analysing a group of 8 different sub-loads.