A Human-Centric & Context-Aware IoT Framework for Enhancing Energy Efficiency in Buildings of Public Use

Abstract

The GreenSoul project introduces an innovative energy-efficient platform which enhances traditional public-use buildings with various technologies, such as smart adaptors, energy analyzers, an occupant aware decision support engine, mobile applications, and interactive ambient interfaces. These enhancement aims to directly improve the interactions between occupants and energy-consuming assets in their environment. The GreenSoul framework is further enriched by the deployment of lightweight edge-computing GreenSoul-ed devices, which reduce energy consumption by cooperating with other devices, smart metering equipment and, very importantly, with eco-aware users. The decision making process is supported by a socio-economic behavioral model, which provides the necessary understanding of occupant indoor behavior toward transforming energy consuming devices into active pro-sustainability agents that inform users how energy-efficiently they operate them, provide notifications as to improve that aspect, and even adapt their own functioning to reduce energy waste. These eco-wise devices, which are coined as GreenSoul-ed Things, are explained in detail throughout this paper as well as the sensor-based architecture that supports their operation. The deployment of the framework across six pilot buildings is addressed, as well as the designed experimental setting to corroborate the potential of such a collaborative approach to enhance energy efficiency in office buildings.