The Use of Intelligent Systems for Monitoring Energy Use and Occupancy in Existing Homes

In the UK the existing domestic building stock accounts for 30 % of the total carbon dioxide emissions [Domestic energy fact file, BRE, 2008]. The UK Government has set ambitious targets for reducing UK carbon dioxide emissions by 80% by 2050. These targets will require significant changes to the existing buildings. To understand and quantify the benefits of refurbishment solutions, it is vital to monitor exemplar buildings and to bring them to an energy efficiency standard with lower associated carbon emissions, by finding the most efficient way to refurbish them. A 1930’s replica three bed semi-detached house analyzed in this study is located in the University of Nottingham campus and is fully monitored, including monitoring of the occupants patterns, environmental monitoring, electricity use and energy associated with space and hot water heating. This paper analyses techniques used for tracking computing technologies in everyday domestic settings. A Real Time Occupancy Monitoring System using ultra wideband (UW) radio frequency (RF) is used in this study to track person’s location within the research house. The results presented in this paper shows that energy consumption profiles are related to the occupants and their profiles. The data also depends on the outside weather conditions and occupants’ behaviour. The study shows that it is not enough just to improve building performance in order to improve energy efficiency; it is also important to understand and influence occupant behaviour, due to the fact that in domestic buildings the occupants exert complete control of the appliances, lights, heating, and ventilation. The results of this study suggest that general behavioural trends and patterns can be extracted from long-term collected data. This systematic study could benefit the existing housing stock in the UK by applying the same methods used in the research house.