28,159 research outputs found
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
The transition towards a sustainable energy system in Europe: What role can North Africa's solar resources play?
Securing energy supply and speeding up the transition towards a reliable, sustainable, low-carbon energy system are among the major current and future challenges facing Europe. Importing dispatchable solar electricity from North Africa is considered as a potential and attractive option. Nevertheless, as things currently stand, the European Commission focuses mainly on the exploitation of the existing wind power potential in the North Sea, largely ignoring the solar power potential in the Sahara region of North Africa. After discussing the major challenges and issues facing Europe to achieve the assigned ambitious objectives, the paper emphasises the importance of North Africa's solar resources in helping Europe to successfully address the challenge of decarbonising its electricity system, in particular with regards to the security of supply and sustainability. Within these two major challenges, the paper explores the issues of access, barriers and opportunities. The paper highlights why the EU’s energy and climate goals will not be achievable without adequate grid expansion and grid-scale energy storage facilities, as well as other innovative measures to manage demand and ensure a secure energy supply. In this respect, the paper shows how the import of dispatchable electricity from North Africa via specific HVDC links could play a key role in helping the EU achieve its energy targets in a cost effective way without recourse to significant investments in transmission infrastructure and storage facilities. The paper then attempts to identify and analyze the main barriers that continue to inhibit the export of solar electricity from North Africa to Europe. Finally, to make the project more attractive and achievable in the near future, the paper proposes a systematic approach for setting up energy import scenarios. A promising import scenario is presented where energy import via Italy is shown to be a more viable and effective solution than via Spain.Peer reviewe
Smart Grid Communications: Overview of Research Challenges, Solutions, and Standardization Activities
Optimization of energy consumption in future intelligent energy networks (or
Smart Grids) will be based on grid-integrated near-real-time communications
between various grid elements in generation, transmission, distribution and
loads. This paper discusses some of the challenges and opportunities of
communications research in the areas of smart grid and smart metering. In
particular, we focus on some of the key communications challenges for realizing
interoperable and future-proof smart grid/metering networks, smart grid
security and privacy, and how some of the existing networking technologies can
be applied to energy management. Finally, we also discuss the coordinated
standardization efforts in Europe to harmonize communications standards and
protocols.Comment: To be published in IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorial
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