Towards developing a systematic knowledge trend for building energy consumption prediction  

The rapid depletion of natural sources of energy, coupled with increasing global
population has triggered the emergence of various techniques and strategies for
building energy consumption prediction. According to information from existing body of knowledge, this paper systematically brings to fore the application areas of building energy consumption prediction (i.e. well-established and emerging), the relationships between these areas and the ways in which authors integrate the current spate of techniques. Based on direct implications of buildings on global energy consumption and CO2 emissions, this information makes it possible to identify trends, strengths and limitations in this context, thereby enabling the centralisation of activities required for future studies. This study follows several well-documented guides for conducting logical reviews of primary articles concerning main topics of building energy consumption prediction within popular online databases. The definition of articles’ search keywords as well as inclusion/exemption factors were governed by a
combination of principles stipulated by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic
Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Procedures for Performing Systematic
Reviews (PPSR). In comparison to existing review articles in the studied field, the
current study is novel in the sense that it provides a very holistic view to building
energy consumption prediction, thereby minimising the need to consult multiple
individualised studies that are limited to specific techniques, data sets, regions or types of buildings. Another unique feature of this study is its interrelationship network of articles which depicts a quick glance at some of the most influential studies as well as underrepresented areas, thereby aiding research planning, future directions and cross-disciplinary collaborations.