A Review on Energy Consumption Optimization Techniques in IoT Based Smart Building Environments

In recent years, due to the unnecessary wastage of electrical energy in residential buildings, the requirement of energy optimization and user comfort has gained vital importance. In the literature, various techniques have been proposed addressing the energy optimization problem. The goal of each technique was to maintain a balance between user comfort and energy requirements such that the user can achieve the desired comfort level with the minimum amount of energy consumption. Researchers have addressed the issue with the help of different optimization algorithms and variations in the parameters to reduce energy consumption. To the best of our knowledge, this problem is not solved yet due to its challenging nature. The gap in the literature is due to the advancements in the technology and drawbacks of the optimization algorithms and the introduction of different new optimization algorithms. Further, many newly proposed optimization algorithms which have produced better accuracy on the benchmark instances but have not been applied yet for the optimization of energy consumption in smart homes. In this paper, we have carried out a detailed literature review of the techniques used for the optimization of energy consumption and scheduling in smart homes. The detailed discussion has been carried out on different factors contributing towards thermal comfort, visual comfort, and air quality comfort. We have also reviewed the fog and edge computing techniques used in smart homes

Characterizing smart environments as interactive and collective platforms: A review of the key behaviors of responsive architecture

Since architect Nicholas Negroponte first proposed a vision of responsive architecture smart environments have been widely investigated, especially in the fields of computer science and engineering. Despite growing interest in the topic, a comprehensive review of research about smart environments from the architectural perspective is largely missing. In order to provide a formal understanding of smart environments in architecture, this paper conducts a systematic literature review of scholarly sources over the last decade, focusing on four related subjects: (1) responsive architecture, (2) kinetic architecture, (3) adaptive architecture and (4) intelligent buildings. Through this review, the paper identifies and examines interactive and collective behaviors in smart environments, thereby contributing to defining the properties of creative, smart spaces in the contemporary digital ecosystem. In addition, this research offers a means of systematically characterizing and constructing smart environments as interactive and collective platforms, enabling occupants to sense, experience and understand smart spaces

A Fuzzy Logic-based Control System for Microwave Ovens

Conventional microwave ovens rely on users for their cooking time. In other words, the user must set the oven’s cooking time manually. This paper aims to design a fuzzy logicbased controller to resolve the above-mentioned issue by determining the cooking time of the microwave oven automatically. The time determined depends on the quantity and type of food. During the fuzzy logic process, we used the Mamdani fuzzy model. This model involves determining the crisp input, fuzzification, rule evaluation, and defuzzification, to obtain the crisp output result. Input real variables used were the type of food and quantity of food, whereas the output variable used was cooking time. A fuzzy logic toolbox on MATLAB software was used to design and simulate the whole system. Considering the IF-THEN rules and functions, we used the value of food as 50, and the type of food as 50 and we obtained the cooking time as 25 minutes. The result showed that Fuzzy models are good at determining cooking time in Microwave ovens and that their cooking time depends on the inputs. Using fuzzy logic in microwave ovens helps to maintain food quality, saves users’ time, and controls the energy used by the ove

Spatial mapping approach to target the local deployment of distributed energy resources in the UK

Energy systems in most countries distribute electricity over centralized networks using primarily carbon intensive fossil fuels. For energy system to become decarbonised and decentralised to meet climate targets, large-scale application of distributed energy resources (DERs) that provide low carbon heating and electricity will be necessary. This paper uses a domestic energy mapping approach to baseline energy use and target appropriate dwellings for the application of DERs (heat pumps, rooftop solar, batteries) in five existing neighbourhoods (each comprising 200-450 dwellings) located in five council districts in Oxfordshire (UK). The dwellings are assessed using a bottom -up energy model called DECoRuM combined with a GIS-based approach to spatially map results. The results show that rooftop solar installation potential ranges widely depending on neighbourhood; between 1%-9% of dwellings can take up installations of 4kWp size and above, with an average size of 2.1 kWp, resulting in average energy reductions ranging from 69%-77%. The proposed approach can enable local authorities, community energy project developers and district network operators to extract local spatial intelligence rapidly and accurately for large -scale deployment of distributed energy resources. This can avoid expensive reinforcement of the local electricity networks

Responsive Architecture

This book is a collection of articles that have been published in the Special Issue “Responsive Architecture” of the MDPI journal Buildings. The eleven articles within cover various areas of sensitive architecture, including the design of packaging structures reacting to supporting components; structural efficiency of bent columns in indigenous houses; roof forms responsive to buildings depending on their resiliently transformed steel shell parts; creative design of building free shapes covered with transformed shells; artistic structural concepts of the architect and civil engineer; digitally designed airport terminal using wind analysis; rationalized shaping of sensitive curvilinear steel construction; interactive stories of responsive architecture; transformed shell roof constructions as the main determinant in the creative shaping of buildings without shapes that are sensitive to man-made and natural environments; thermally sensitive performances of a special shielding envelope on balconies; quantification of generality and adaptability of building layout using the SAGA method; and influence of initial conditions on the simulation of the transient temperature field inside a wall