Indoor environmental wellness index (IEW-Index): Towards intelligent building systems automation and optimization

Abstract

The impact of indoor environment quality (IEQ) on occupants’ wellness and productivity is substantial. Simultaneously, due to buildings’ significant role as one of the largest energy consumers, there is a pressing need for improved energy efficiency and intelligence in building design and operation. This paper introduces a novel indoor environmental wellness index (IEW-Index) as a real-time key performance indicator (KPI) derived from controllable factors associated with wellness. The main objective of this index is to develop a universally applicable metric for IEQ, incorporate real-time data and personalized settings, and facilitate the real-time optimization of building control systems. In addition, a novel framework based on a multi-agent system (MAS) for building control systems is introduced, encompassing a detailed design of components and communication protocols. The IEW-Index’s effectiveness has been successfully demonstrated through three real-world case studies formulated using the developed multi-agent system framework. The findings indicate a direction for creating a sustainable building automation system that is intelligent and autonomous.