Energy Management and Analysis Exploiting Existing Building Management Systems Infrastructure and Data

Non-domestic buildings were responsible for 120TWh energy consumption and 48MtCO2e emissions in the UK in 2010. There is an acknowledged 'performance gap' between the design expectation and operational reality of most buildings (typically 30-35%). The reasons for the gap are many but research has identified the following among them:

'Building controls and systems are overly complex'
'Design intent is not delivered on-site during construction'
'Commissioning is inadequate or not completed satisfactorily'
'There are insufficient means of measuring and managing the building systems' performance once operational'
'The building is not operated properly by the facilities team or occupiers'

Research has also identified that 'there is still insufficient bottom-up data on building energy use broken down by different building types.'

Our proposal will provide tools to reduce the performance gap using Building Management Systems (BMS) and dedicated platforms that provide analysis and feedback to users on sensor data. It will deliver from the bottom-up, converting large volumes of data input to the platform into simple user-friendly views, indicators, fault detection and diagnoses, while retaining full capabilities. Finally and crucially, it will reduce complexity and information overload by directing attention to actionable solutions by users to performance issues.

Our aim is to acquire and apply a broad range of knowledge and skills to substantially expand the capabilities and applications of an existing Ashden Award 2014-nominated building performance analysis software system that can used for multiple end users.

The project will build upon an existing software system that extracts data from existing BMS that undertakes analysis far beyond the capabilities of the current BMS (designed for control, not analysis). The current platform has already identified £500k of annual savings at King College London University and extensive savings at other sites.

The multidisciplinary and close collaboration between London South Bank University, Demand Logic, Environmental Design Solutions Limited and Verco aims to draw upon data-mining techniques to increase speed and scope of analysis, interface with modelling software to compare design versus performance, interface with strategic carbon management software, enable dynamic demand control and develop interfaces for a range of audiences - including education and training.

The system platform will also be used to educate future engineers at university level by providing them with real-world examples of sensor data, allowing them to perform data analysis techniques and solution provision based upon simulated problems identified in an example building.

Technological advancements and implementation success require user engagement as it underpins our objectives: (a) long-term sustainability; (b) visible and informed assistance to provide improved plant management and energy wastage reductions within non-domestic environments ensuring the onward utilisation of the research data, proposed output tools (the developed GUI, integrated platform) and results. We will achieve this by implementing a two-pronged approach built around open research/data and active engagement.

The project will adopt an 'open research' model to ensure maximum result dissemination and exploitation. Thus, all outputs (papers, reports, materials and data which are not confidential/disclosive) will be placed in the public domain via the project website and/or an appropriate archive service as soon as practical, ensuring appropriate re-use terms (e.g. the Creative Commons-like attribution, non-commercial re-use model) for knowledge codified in papers or reports and for the data generated. This approach will also apply to any intellectual property codified in the system platform itself although it is envisaged more stringent commercial re-use terms will apply.

In order to leverage the open research and open data approaches, we will develop closely managed list of activities which aim to a) raise awareness of our research, b) engage potential research users in our research and c) draw some of those users into deeper interactions with the project. To do this, we cluster our users into academic peers; government and NGO policy analysts and strategists; commercial researchers, building developers, plant item manufacturers, tenants, landlords, consultancy firms and the general public. We will actively seek the engagement of all these groups using a range of
methods suited to the specific target audiences. For each, we plan tailored activities and these groups and the methods used together with our intended outcomes are set out in the appended Pathways to Impact.

At the project outset we will instigate a website and Facebook page/Twitter feed. The social media channels will be used for regular dissemination of project news, events, publications and summary results (c.f. open research). They will also be used to engage all potential user groups with our progress including potentially experimental elicitation of system requirements. These channels will also be used to support our open research/open data approach through the provision of fora by which research and data users outside the project can share experiences, expertise and results.

Once developed, the platform will be used on London South Bank University (LSBU) short courses, modules and lab demonstrations for students who are on our engineering courses. This platform will engage students on sensor monitoring, data mining, information identification, extraction and understanding. We will use this to create real-world experiences to engage and inform student interest in building energy management and will create projects at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in these areas, subsequently, producing experienced graduates aiming to enter the industry. We hope
to be able to market the educational platform to interested parties (subject to IP discussions between partners).

In parallel to traditional academic conference and journal paper outputs we will develop a mini-exhibition of the system amongst LSBU, Demand Logic and the other partners to display, perform larger scale (live test bed itself) and smaller scale demonstrations, publicise the system and its results. We intend this programme of activities to lead to: the creation of a long term self-sustaining community of scholars; the identification of opportunities for additional or new studies, the exploitation of all aspects of the system platform results and the wider engagement of the business sectors and general public in the re-consideration of their energy-use practice.