A review of Modelica language in building and energy: Development, applications, and future prospect

The Modelica language, developing from version 1.0 in 1997 to the current version 3.1, has become the preferred language for system simulation. Its advantages focus on high-level components' behavioral aspects without delving into complex algebraic equations. Modelica supports various modeling approaches, is open -source, and allows users to implement their compilation tools. Several topics related to this language have emerged, warranting further in-depth research and discussion. Notably, in recent years, there has been an evident absence of thorough review related to Modelica language in the building sector. This review provides a systematic overview of the development of libraries, applications at the building and district scale, coupling and comparisons with other software, and discusses boundary conditions, model optimization, and development status. The study identifies the current research limitations of Modelica and highlights the future focus on integrating renewable energy systems and advanced control systems. The review identifies challenges, including extensive learning costs, while emphasizing the need for future research to develop open -source libraries and complex models for broader applications in building systems.