Do Buildings Really Need Comprehensive Sensor Networks? a Graph Theory-Based Framework for Physical Consistency Modeling

Abstract: To enable building energy flexibility, sensor networks play a critical role in building energy management. However, comprehensive sensor network deployment is hindered by high Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) and retrofitting complexities. This study proposes a graph theory-based framework to address these limitations by exploiting the physical consistency inherent in building systems. By modeling the system topology using a bipartite graph, the framework identifies unknown variables given existing measurements via physical laws (e.g., thermodynamics). The proposed framework can also be used as virtual sensing for anomaly detection and sensor network design for both existing and new buildings.