PLUG-N-HARVEST Architecture for Secure and Intelligent Management of Near-Zero Energy Buildings

Area of Science:

• Building Automation and Control
• Sustainable Architecture
• Smart Home Technology

Background:

• Current Building Automation (BA) systems struggle to manage Adaptable/Dynamic Building Envelopes (ADBE) for near-zero energy efficiency.
• ADBE buildings integrate Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and Envelope Retrofitting (ER), requiring advanced management solutions.
• Existing BA systems lack the capability to effectively integrate and manage these complex, energy-efficient building features.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the PLUG-N-HARVEST architecture for managing near-zero energy-efficient ADBE constructions.
• To demonstrate the architecture's effectiveness in both residential and commercial buildings.
• To showcase the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) for advanced building management.

Main Methods:

• Developed the PLUG-N-HARVEST architecture utilizing cloud AI and security-by-design IoT networks.
• Implemented and tested the architecture in three real-world pilots across Germany, Greece, and Spain.
• Focused on the Spain pilot, deploying Z-wave based IoT wireless networks for plug-and-play sensor and actuator installations.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated high efficiency in secure Internet communications between building equipment and cloud management systems.
• Validated the effectiveness of security-by-design principles in IoT networks for building automation.
• Cloud-based intelligent management significantly improved energy consumption and occupant comfort conditions.

Conclusions:

• The PLUG-N-HARVEST architecture successfully manages near-zero energy-efficient ADBE buildings.
• AI and IoT integration, with secure protocols, is crucial for the future of sustainable urban development and smart homes.
• The system offers a scalable and efficient solution for enhancing building performance and user experience.