Architectures for smart end-user services in the power grid

Abstract-The increase of distributed renewable electricity generators, such as solar cells and wind turbines, requires a new energy management system. These distributed generators introduce bidirectional energy flows in the low-voltage power grid, requiring novel coordination mechanisms to balance local supply and demand. Closed solutions exist for energy management on the level of individual homes. However, no service architectures have been defined that allow the growing number of end-users to interact with the other power consumers and generators and to get involved in more rational energy consumption patterns using intuitive applications. We therefore present a common service architecture that allows houses with renewable energy generation and smart energy devices to plug into a distributed energy management system, integrated with the public power grid. Next to the technical details, we focus on the usability aspects of the end-user applications in order to contribute to high service adoption and optimal user involvement. The presented architecture facilitates end-users to reduce net energy consumption, enables power grid providers to better balance supply and demand, and allows new actors to join with new services. We present a novel simulator that allows to evaluate both the power grid and data communication aspects, and illustrate a 22% reduction of the peak load by deploying a central coordinator inside the home gateway of an end-user

Civil Space Technology Initiative: a First Step

This is the first published overview of OAST's focused program, the Civil Space Technology Initiative, (CSTI) which started in FY88. This publication describes the goals, technical approach, current status, and plans for CSTI. Periodic updates are planned

CleanTX Analysis on the Smart Grid

The utility industry in the United States has an opportunity to revolutionize its electric grid system by utilizing emerging software, hardware and wireless technologies and renewable energy sources. As electricity generation in the U.S. increases by over 30% from today’s generation of 4,100 Terawatt hours per year to a production of 5,400 Terawatt hours per year by 2030, a new type of grid is necessary to ensure reliable and quality power. The projected U.S. population increase and economic growth will require a grid that can transmit and distribute significantly more power than it does today. Known as a Smart Grid, this system enables two- way transmission of electrons and information to create a demand-response system that will optimize electricity delivery to consumers. This paper outlines the issues with the current grid infrastructure, discusses the economic advantages of the Smart Grid for both consumers and utilities, and examines the emerging technologies that will enable cleaner, more efficient and cost- effective power transmission and consumption.IC2 Institut

The Allen Telescope Array: The First Widefield, Panchromatic, Snapshot Radio Camera for Radio Astronomy and SETI

The first 42 elements of the Allen Telescope Array (ATA-42) are beginning to deliver data at the Hat Creek Radio Observatory in Northern California. Scientists and engineers are actively exploiting all of the flexibility designed into this innovative instrument for simultaneously conducting surveys of the astrophysical sky and conducting searches for distant technological civilizations. This paper summarizes the design elements of the ATA, the cost savings made possible by the use of COTS components, and the cost/performance trades that eventually enabled this first snapshot radio camera. The fundamental scientific program of this new telescope is varied and exciting; some of the first astronomical results will be discussed.Comment: Special Issue of Proceedings of the IEEE: "Advances in Radio Telescopes", Baars,J. Thompson,R., D'Addario, L., eds, 2009, in pres

The influence of user behaviour on energy use in old dwellings: case-study analysis of a social housing neighbourhood

Taking user behaviour into account to predict the real energy use and possible savings in houses, remains a challenge of huge importance for the Belgian social housing sector, which owns large buildings stocks in urgent need of refurbishment. Within this context, a case-study analysis was carried out on 36 (nearly) identical social houses from a single neighbourhood, dating from the sixties. Information on user behaviour, indoor air quality and thermal comfort was gathered both through in-situ measurements and through surveys of the inhabitants. Furthermore, air tightness and heat flux measurements aimed at increasing the accurate knowledge of the buildings’ characteristics and data on real energy use were gathered. This paper presents some findings from this case study, focusing on the energy use for heating. The huge differences in energy use observed between households on the one hand and between theoretic EPBD-calculations and real measurements on the other hand are investigated. The findings from the measurements and the surveys are implemented in an improved multi-zone quasi-steady state calculation code reaching much better correlations with the real energy figures. This illustrates the influence of some behavioural parameters and the usefulness of both sources of information: surveys and measurements. Remaining causes of discrepancies are further reported

State-of-the-art on research and applications of machine learning in the building life cycle

Fueled by big data, powerful and affordable computing resources, and advanced algorithms, machine learning has been explored and applied to buildings research for the past decades and has demonstrated its potential to enhance building performance. This study systematically surveyed how machine learning has been applied at different stages of building life cycle. By conducting a literature search on the Web of Knowledge platform, we found 9579 papers in this field and selected 153 papers for an in-depth review. The number of published papers is increasing year by year, with a focus on building design, operation, and control. However, no study was found using machine learning in building commissioning. There are successful pilot studies on fault detection and diagnosis of HVAC equipment and systems, load prediction, energy baseline estimate, load shape clustering, occupancy prediction, and learning occupant behaviors and energy use patterns. None of the existing studies were adopted broadly by the building industry, due to common challenges including (1) lack of large scale labeled data to train and validate the model, (2) lack of model transferability, which limits a model trained with one data-rich building to be used in another building with limited data, (3) lack of strong justification of costs and benefits of deploying machine learning, and (4) the performance might not be reliable and robust for the stated goals, as the method might work for some buildings but could not be generalized to others. Findings from the study can inform future machine learning research to improve occupant comfort, energy efficiency, demand flexibility, and resilience of buildings, as well as to inspire young researchers in the field to explore multidisciplinary approaches that integrate building science, computing science, data science, and social science

Part 2: pushing the envelope. A process perspective for architecture, engineering and construction

In this article, I am building on an emerging 'process view of nature' and how biological membranes emerge through the combined action of (locally) autonomous construction agents. In Part 1, we considered the simultaneous aggregation and disaggregation of matter around embedded processes, used to create, sustain and regulate matter, energy and information gradients from which 'work' is derived for the benefit of the agents or organisms present in the system. In Part 2, I intend to demonstrate that emerging digital design, simulation and fabrication techniques, when linked to sensory and effector feedback, memory and actions, directed by pre-encoded objectives (as rules or algorithms), produce the same fundamental unit of 'agency' as biological agents possess. By understanding how biological membranes emerge in nature, as the outcome of 'negotiated agency', to regulate matter, energy and information exchange between adjacent spaces, we can begin to consider the building envelope as a biological interface or membrane from which 'work' can be derived from the environment we inhabit, as a physiological extension of ourselves

NASA scientific and technical publications: A catalog of special publications, reference publications, conference publications, and technical papers, 1989

This catalog lists 190 citations of all NASA Special Publications, NASA Reference Publications, NASA Conference Publications, and NASA Technical Papers that were entered into the NASA scientific and technical information database during accession year 1989. The entries are grouped by subject category. Indexes of subject terms, personal authors, and NASA report numbers are provided