Intelligent energy optimization system development and validation for German building types

Abstract

Abstract Cost-effective building energy optimization solutions have a strategic function to assist German and European energy policies for the simple reason that buildings account for 40% of the total energy consumption in Europe. The International Energy Agency considers energy efficiency as the first fuel and a major resource. In this work, a cost-effective building energy optimization system consisting of 14 different wireless network embedded sensors, control units (actuators), wireless communication protocol, multi-dimensional information management system, context sensitive graphical user interfaces and energy optimization software with artificial intelligence-backed control algorithms is examined. The R&D activity is accomplished in the ‘Intelligent Building Energy Management System’ research project, which is funded by the State of Lower Saxony (Germany) in the frame of Innovation Support Program between the years 2014 and 2018. The ‘Energy Optimization System (EOS)’, which is subject to this research, reduces the total energy use and CO2 emissions of buildings through optimization of energy-consuming building systems, such as heating, cooling, lighting systems and home/office appliances with the support of an integrated system solution consisting of artificial intelligence-based software and wireless network embedded hardware. The system is deployed and validated in two appropriately selected test buildings in Germany. It has been recorded that the system provides energy efficiency levels between 29.34% and 38.18% under different seasonal and occupancy conditions in office and residential building types. The developed system can be deployed to all types of historical and new buildings to optimize energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions.