Deep Reinforcement Learning Approaches the MILP Optimum of a Multi-Energy Optimization in Energy Communities

Vinzent Vetter, Philipp Wohlgenannt, Peter Kepplinger () and Elias Eder
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Vinzent Vetter: Illwerke vkw Endowed Professorship for Energy Efficiency, Energy Research Centre, Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences, Hochschulstrasse 1, 6850 Dornbirn, Austria
Philipp Wohlgenannt: Illwerke vkw Endowed Professorship for Energy Efficiency, Energy Research Centre, Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences, Hochschulstrasse 1, 6850 Dornbirn, Austria
Peter Kepplinger: Illwerke vkw Endowed Professorship for Energy Efficiency, Energy Research Centre, Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences, Hochschulstrasse 1, 6850 Dornbirn, Austria
Elias Eder: Illwerke vkw Endowed Professorship for Energy Efficiency, Energy Research Centre, Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences, Hochschulstrasse 1, 6850 Dornbirn, Austria

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 17, 1-20

Abstract: As energy systems transition toward high shares of variable renewable generation, local energy communities (ECs) are increasingly relevant for enabling demand-side flexibility and self-sufficiency. This shift is particularly evident in the residential sector, where the deployment of photovoltaic (PV) systems is rapidly growing. While mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) remains the standard for operational optimization and demand response in such systems, its computational burden limits scalability and responsiveness under real-time or uncertain conditions. Reinforcement learning (RL), by contrast, offers a model-free, adaptive alternative. However, its application to real-world energy system operation remains limited. This study explores the application of a Deep Q-Network (DQN) to a real residential EC, which has received limited attention in prior work. The system comprises three single-family homes sharing a centralized heating system with a thermal energy storage (TES), a PV installation, and a grid connection. We compare the performance of MILP and RL controllers across economic and environmental metrics. Relative to a reference scenario without TES, MILP and RL reduce energy costs by 10.06% and 8.78%, respectively, and both approaches yield lower total energy consumption and CO 2 -equivalent emissions. Notably, the trained RL agent achieves a near-optimal outcome while requiring only 22% of the MILP’s computation time. These results demonstrate that DQNs can offer a computationally efficient and practically viable alternative to MILP for real-time control in residential energy systems.

Keywords: multi-energy optimization; energy community; net zero-energy building; reinforcement learning; mixed integer linear programming; deep Q-network (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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