A methodological review on management of building cluster meso energy hubs in accordance with the agile framework: Exploring flexibility upward the building-cluster-city hierarchy

The global energy crisis has prompted the European Union (EU) to concentrate on enhancing energy efficiency in the building sector. One promising approach to achieving this goal is through building clustering and energy hub concepts, which enable efficient and flexible energy management in multi-carrier energy systems. In this context, this paper proposes to conceptualize a building cluster as an energy hub, contributing to synergistic energy efficiency. The main contribution of this paper is to present a state-of-the-art review of building cluster meso energy hubs (BCMEEHs) energy management, focusing on Agile framework. By analyzing the most effective models, architectures, and methods in BCMEEHs energy management, this review can help improve key performance indicators (KPIs) and framework accuracy in real-world building energy management projects. To this end, this manuscript proposes a hierarchical energy management framework for BCMEEHs in a smart city macro energy hub (SCMAEH) based on an implemented project management framework. Overall, this paper contributes to the literature by proposing a comprehensive and efficient approach to BCMEEH energy management. By adopting the proposed framework, building clusters can be transformed into energy hubs, promoting sustainable energy practices and addressing the global energy crisis.