Ajagekar, Akshay (Cornell University), You, Fengqi (Cornell University)

Demand Response in Building Microgrids with Variational Quantum Circuit Enabled Hybrid Control Strategy

Scheduled for presentation during the Regular Session "Optimal energy scheduling for residential buildings" (ThuS1T3), Thursday, July 11, 2024, 10:00−10:20, Session room 3

12th IFAC Symposium on Control of Power & Energy Systems, July 10-12, 2024, Rabat, Morocco

This information is tentative and subject to change. Compiled on April 25, 2025

Abstract

Participation in demand response programs encourages grid-interactive buildings to reduce energy consumption and promote sustainability by curbing load demand. Quantum computing has the potential to improve demand response, addressing the limitations of traditional techniques. We propose a hybrid control strategy, utilizing variational quantum circuits (VQC) and classical computing, to enhance demand response. The VQC-based technique combines quantum circuits trained through reinforcement learning with classical optimization solvers to optimize energy management in building microgrids. Computational experiments demonstrate that the hybrid strategy outperforms traditional techniques, reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions while maintaining scalability for larger building microgrids. By leveraging the strengths of both quantum and classical computing, the hybrid VQC-based strategy offers a promising approach to improving demand response and promoting energy efficiency in buildings, ultimately contributing to global sustainability efforts.