meta data for this page
  •  

Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

Link to this comparison view

Both sides previous revision Previous revision
Next revision 		Previous revision
homeautomation2018:group6:start [2018/05/20 21:38]
severi [Documents] 		homeautomation2018:group6:start [2018/05/22 21:54] (current)
severi [Documents]
Line 9: Line 9:
 | Severi Ahopelto | 0454293 | | Severi Ahopelto | 0454293 |
 | Md Anisul Islam  | 0528721 | | Md Anisul Islam  | 0528721 |
 +{{:homeautomation2018:group6:img_3864.jpg?400|}}
  
-====== Problem ====== 
  
-  * LUT has multiple computer rooms available in 24/7 use. These classrooms have their computers on hibernation all the time they are not in use, which uses power needlessly.  +====== Idea and motivation ====== 
-  * This issue could be solved using smart solutions.+ 
 +Modern classrooms use many kinds of technology and equipment: computers, monitors, TVs, projectors, printers, etc. These devices consume some power when plugged into an outlet even when they are turned off. The consumption of an individual device is very low, but when you consider that LUT, and schools in general, have hundreds of computers and other devices which are not in use most of the time, for example at night or on holidays, it adds up to significant amounts. Eliminating this unnecessary consumption could save a lot of money. 
 + 
 +We will try to solve this problem with our automated system which completely shuts down the power in a classroom when it is not in use. We implemented a much simpler version of this system, by using basic home automation power meters and switches to control the power for a single computer and a light bulb. 
 + 
 +The main motivations for this project are the energy savings, but the increased comfort from the automation of some things, such as lighting or heating, is a good benefit as well.
  
 ====== Vision ====== ====== Vision ======
  
-  * A classroom with no power usage when not in use +Our vision is a classroom with no power usage when it is not in use. In addition to the implemented features, we also thought about how this system could be improved in the future. We focused on the possibilities in 5-10 years, although some these things might be partly possible to implement even today or in the near future. 
-  * The room should still be immediately usable after someone has entered in  +==== Smart windows ==== 
-  * Power usage should fall down to zero when the last person leaves the room+Automatic dimming of windows could be useful to control the amount of sunlight in the classroom. This could work together with the lighting, since the brightness of the lights can be lowered when there is a lot of natural light available from outside. The windows can be dimmed completely in situations where the classroom needs to be very dark or direct sunlight is distracting. Smart windows could also generate some power from the sunlight. 
 +==== Smart walls ==== 
 +Smart walls can detect people inside the room more accurately than simple motion sensors. The walls could also be used as an interactive surface when necessary. The interactions could possibly be based on either touch or gestures. There would also be no need wall switches since the interactions could be done on the interactive wall. 
 +==== Smart heating ==== 
 +Heating could be automated based on the classroom schedule. This way the classroom could be already automatically heated in the morning when the first lecture starts and the heating can be turned down or off to save energy after the last lecture in the evening.
  
 ====== Implemented scenario ====== ====== Implemented scenario ======
Line 28: Line 37:
 {{:homeautomation2018:group6:gr6design.png?300|}} {{:homeautomation2018:group6:gr6design.png?300|}}
  
-====== Energy savings calculations ======+====== Benefits and savings ======
  
-  * There are ~16 computers in a computer room  +Most people don’t think about turning school computers off and nobody unplugs their classroom electronics after leaving. Our solution provides convenience and ease of mind since those who do use school electronics responsibly won’t need to worry about shutting down devices either. Everything happens unnoticed automatically. That small convenience is the social sustainability our concept brings. 
-  * Approx. 1-5 watts power draw per computer in hibernation mode +Most of our projects sustainability is on environmental side. The whole idea of this concept is to save the last bit of completely wasteful power usage in classrooms. Although the impact of one room is small the combined impact of hundreds of classrooms saves a lot of energy thus reducing the emissions caused by electricity usage.
-  * Classrooms are not in use most of the day (we could have 12h not in use time)  +
-  * 12h*4W*365 = 17520 Wh = 17.5 kWh (1 computer in a year) +
-  * Per computer room 17.5kWh * 16 = 280 kWh in a year  +
-  * Only from the computers  +
  
-====== Benefits and savings ======+We can see from the calculations that the amount of money saved is quite small in the scale of a university but when we include all the classrooms into consideration the energy savings and cost benefits can become significant. The real issue is the cost of implementation which in our example using switches would require multiple switches in each classroom and wouldn’t be worth the investment. Our solution could be developed further and if we could manage a complete classroom with one switch the investment could be worth it. It is of course also a way of branding and enhancing the university’s image. Green campus image sells, and this solution would bring another dimension to that.
  
-  * Actual power savings are relatively small  +==== Energy savings calculations ====
-  * Emphasis on branding  +
-  * One possible solution as a part of green campus idea +
-  * Automatic solution+
  
-====== Extended vision ====== +  * A simple calculation example would be to estimate energy saving in one computer classroom since they have the most electronic devices in classrooms.  
-===== Smart Windows ===== +  * We’ll be using an LUT computer classroom in this example. In an LUT computer classroom there are around 15 computers and monitors.  
-  * Automatic dimming of windows  +  * We can take standby power calculations researched by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and use them in our calculations. According to their research, an LCD display consumes 1.38W of power in sleep mode and a desktop computer consumes 21.13W on average in sleep mode.  
-  * Generating some power from sunlight +  * In these estimations the hardest part is estimating what portion of the year are the computer classes not in use. We can roughly say it is at least half of the day since the rooms are not used at most nights and daytime use is small on holidays and summer.  
-===== Smart Walls ===== +  * We can also calculate cost savings estimates using electricity prices in Finland.  
-  * Accurately detecting people inside the room  +  * With these numbers we can calculate some estimates. 
-  * Using any wall as an interactive surface with a projector + 
-  * No need for wall switches, interactions done touching the wall +{{:homeautomation2018:group6:table_calculations.png?700|}}
-===== Smart Heating ===== +
-  * Heating times based on classroom use +
-  * System is aware of the school schedule +
  
 ====== Home Automation Protocol - X10 ====== ====== Home Automation Protocol - X10 ======
Line 74: Line 73:
 {{:homeautomation2018:group6:howx10works910.gif?500|}} {{:homeautomation2018:group6:howx10works910.gif?500|}}
  
-image: www.x10.com/x10-basics.html +Image link: https://www.x10.com/media/x10/howx10works910.gif 
-===== Benefits =====+ 
 +//For a more detailed explanation and more figures check the final report!// 
 +=== Benefits === 
 + 
   * Uses existing wiring (no need for ethernet or wireless networks)    * Uses existing wiring (no need for ethernet or wireless networks) 
   * Simple to use   * Simple to use
Line 81: Line 83:
   * Cheaper than most alternatives   * Cheaper than most alternatives
  
-===== Drawbacks =====+=== Drawbacks ===
   * Noticeable delay    * Noticeable delay 
   * Possible interference (data byte gaps etc.)   * Possible interference (data byte gaps etc.)
Line 93: Line 95:
   * Supports many protocols and devices   * Supports many protocols and devices
  
-===== Our impressions =====+==== Our impressions ====
  
-  * Flexible and extensible 
-  * Built-in regular expressions are useful 
   * Can be controlled with many devices, such as smartphones   * Can be controlled with many devices, such as smartphones
-  * Very limited English documentation and support+  * Lack of documentation 
 +  * Mess in a crowded network 
 +  * Perl Scripts and Error Logs :) 
  
 ====== Poster ====== ====== Poster ======
Line 105: Line 107:
  
   * Presentation:{{ :homeautomation2018:group6:smart_classroom_final.pptx |}}   * Presentation:{{ :homeautomation2018:group6:smart_classroom_final.pptx |}}
-  * Final report: +  * Final report: {{ :homeautomation2018:group6:final_report.pdf |}}
   * Code: {{ :homeautomation2018:group6:code.zip |}}   * Code: {{ :homeautomation2018:group6:code.zip |}}
   * Poster: {{:homeautomation2018:group6:automation_poster_small.png?linkonly|}}   * Poster: {{:homeautomation2018:group6:automation_poster_small.png?linkonly|}}
  
 +====== References ======
 +
 +Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (2018). Standby power summary table. Available: http://standby.lbl.gov/summary-table.html 
 +
 +Smarthomeusa.com (2018). How X10 works. Available: https://www.smarthomeusa.com/how-x10-works/#theory