Project description
Making buildings smarter and more efficient
Smart building management systems, made possible by new technologies, are a new energy-efficient trend in the market. The 'smartness' of a building hinges on the capacity to connect to and interact with the energy system. This means automatically activating/deactivating lights, heating and cooling systems and appliances. The EU-funded domOS project will take a closer look at the smart building sector by researching two axes. The first is the technology and secure connection of smart devices and smart appliances so that building owners can enforce privacy rules. The second addresses the development of smart services that increase efficiency of space heating. For instance, the project will study how buildings can become active nodes of an electricity grid or a district heating grid. The project's proposals will be tested on five demonstration sites.
Objective
Digitisation in existing buildings is not as widespread as in other sectors. A consequence is that buildings owners and occupants have generally a limited understanding of their building as an energy system. Improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings can and should be achieved through deep renovation. In comparison, smart technologies can increase the efficiency and the flexibility of buildings in a shorter term and with much less investments. The domOS project addresses the smart building sector through two axes.
In the first axis, technology, guidelines for an open, secure, multi-service Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem for smart buildings are defined: in-building gateways, which connect to local smart devices and smart appliance of any type, IoT platforms and applications operated by different parties can be integrated seamlessly. Buildings owners can enforce privacy rules, they can allow / forbid access to any measurement or control point.
The second axis deals with the development of smart services. They increase energy efficiency of space heating (heat pumps, district heating, gas boilers) thanks to innovative control algorithms making use of smart sensors and smart heating appliances. Automated advice services provide concise and sound information on the building energy. Buildings become active nodes of an electricity grid or a District Heating grid.
These two axes are present in each of the five demonstration sites of the domOS project: The Sion (CH) and Paris (F) pilots test smart services related to electricity. In Aalborg (DK), control techniques applied to space heating for buildings connected to a Distributed Heating grid reduces consumption and lower costs, CO$_{2}$ emissions and system load. In the Neuchâtel (CH) and Skive (DK) demonstrators, closed-loop control minimises temperature at the output of the heating system, thus increasing efficiency and reducing losses.
Fields of science
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesinternetinternet of things
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftwaresoftware applicationssystem softwareoperating systems
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringthermodynamic engineering
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensorssmart sensors
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystems
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
IA - Innovation actionCoordinator
2800 Delemont
Switzerland