AGH UST experimental test site – what an intelligent house can do

A house which will take care of itself, its garden, and, in the first place, will ensure comfort to its owners is not science fiction any more. A smell of hot coffee in the morning - why not? Roller blinds pulled down by the touch of a button when we have to go out urgently, lights switched off in the rooms where no one is present, always comfortable temperature in the house - such a luxury is already within reach. Scientists of the AGH University of Science and Technology say that how our house will "work" and what it will be able to do is only a matter the owner's imagination.

---

Let's start from the beginning. What is meant by "intelligent house", and what can such a house do? It sets lighting, the required temperature, and turns air conditioning on and off. It will ensure security because it can reproduce the residents' behaviour from the previous month. It will switch on the lights in the same way and at the same time. As a result, potential thieves will give up on their plans as they will not be sure if the house is really empty. An intelligent house knows that when you open the front gate with a remote control, the garage gate also needs to be open, and that, if it is already dark, the garage lights need to be switched on, followed by the lights in the living room a few moments later. Afterwards, it will, for example, turn on music or fill the bath - of course, with water of optimum temperature for the house owner. There are no technological restrictions, the only restriction is our imagination. There are many devices which can be managed by our house, but if we want them all to work faultlessly, they need to be controlled by an integrated system. And it is research into such systems that is currently being conducted by the scientists of the AGH University of Science and Technology together with the researchers of the Gdańsk University of Technology and the Poznań University of Technology, who will examine technologies thanks to which such an intelligent house can be built. A rapid development of automatics has enabled the implementation of new solutions not only into industry, but also into public institutions and private building. An increase in the standard of living has forced the creation of new systems of building automation, with which constructions meant to become "intelligent buildings" are equipped. One of such systems is LonWorks, on which scientists and researchers of AGH UST are engaged. Taking advantage of the European Union funds and within the framework of the AutBudNet project, the AGH University of Science and Technology has build and equipped three laboratories of 240 square metres of space, in which research into devices, system modules, protection, and automation standards will be conducted. In the first one, i.e. the Laboratory of Compatibility, it is possible to examine and test devices which are introduced into the market. The laboratory is authorised to certify products against their compatibility with the international technology LonWorks. In the second one, i.e. the Laboratory of Devices, it is possible to examine and test the functionality of any devices connected with the automation of buildings. The laboratory rooms have been equipped with the most popular automatic systems increasing the comfort of living conditions, for example, the systems of pulling up or down roller blinds, controlling windows, lighting, air conditioning, and motion sensors, as well as devices checking parameters of these systems. Finally, the Laboratory of Influence has been designed to carry out research into the influence of given devices and the entire automation installations on the energetic efficiency of buildings. In the laboratory, the consumption of electrical and thermal energy is checked, and it is also tested here whether the optimisation and improvement of the comfort of its use is possible. Works on the construction of these laboratories at the AGH University of Science and Technology took two years. The final result, as we can see, is the creation of an "experimental test site", where the possibilities of intelligent systems aiming at the improvement of energetic efficiency will be tested. A ceremonial opening of the laboratories, connected with the accomplishment of the AutBudNet project, was planned for the end of June 2011.

 

 

The aim of the AutBudNet project was "the development of research infrastructure serving the extension of scientific collaboration between different Polish research centres, as well as a better use of funds and technological infrastructure thanks to the synergy of activities." The AGH University of Science and Technology was the leader and coordinator of the project. In the new laboratories, under the supervision of professor Marian Noga, research will be conducted into the influence of the building automation devices of the LonWorks standard on the energetic efficiency of buildings, the functionality of automation devices, as well as their compatibility with the standard LonWorks PN-EN ISO/IEC 14908. The laboratory at the Poznań University of Technology will be conducting similar research, but its main subject will be the devices and systems of building automation working in the standard KNX - ISO/IEC 14543-3 (formerly EIB). The laboratory also plans to obtain authorisation and certificates of appropriate standardization organisations (KNX Association). The laboratory at the Gdańsk University of Technology is meant to be a verification centre of the functionality and mutual integration of different systems of building automation. As doctor Andrzej Ożadowicz of AGH UST says, scientists and researchers from the three centres want to conduct research into different systems in order to provide a potential customer with objective information as to the systems functionality, as well as particular devices. They can be approached by every manufacturer who wants to test their equipment and gain appropriate certification.

 

 

Is the only reason of these "intelligent houses" and applied solutions to increase our comfort, or are they also economically justified? If we do not have roller blinds that need to be pulled down, we like to make coffee ourselves, and we do not have a garage, should we really invest in such improvements. Jakub Grela, a researcher from professor Noga's team gives a firm answer: "Yes, because we can save quite a lot." He also remarks about diminishing energy resources, a growing demand for energy, and its rising prices. Thanks to suitable control systems of lighting and heating, we can lower energy consumption by 30-40 per cent or more. In Europe and the USA, the so-called "passive constructions" are built, i.e. houses which are not supplied with any external sources of energy as they have their own wind, solar or hydroelectric power stations. Therefore, our researchers will also seek ways of reducing the consumption of energy. We need to remember that ensuring a high level of energetic efficiency of a building is possible not only due to the use of appropriate building materials and technologies. To a large extent, it depends on a sensible use of electrical and thermal energy. Here comes support from the advanced automatic systems which enable the complex control of all installations and devices, including household appliances. These systems should have an open structure, allowing them to get connected to other, more modern devices appearing on the market, as well as to communicate with other systems. Andrzej Ożadowicz explains that you can manage an intelligent house even when you are on holidays. Using the Internet, you can switch on a washing machine, water the garden, or even turn on the light in the hall. Jakub Grela adds: "The owner can send a text to the system to order it, for example, to heat the water in a swimming pool."

 

 

As we can see, there are no technological restrictions. The only limitation is human imagination, but at the same time, it generates a huge space for creation. Until now, the idea behind "the intelligence of a building" was only the convenience of the house residents, but currently the researchers focus on the maximum comfort of the user at the minimum amount of energy used. Efficient energy management is important not only from the point of view of an individual person who will pay lower bills, but also from the point of view of the world economy suffering the deficiency of energy. Here, quite significant savings are delivered by automation in buildings.

 

 

Story: Ilona Trębacz

---