無線感測網路應用於能源節約之個人化適性服務

Abstract

近幾年來，「無線感測器網路」已成為一門重要的研究主題，因為其具備有監控環境的能力，因此成為目前產/研/學界的研發焦點。利用無線感測網路來達成辦公室或家庭的能源節約，並提供個人化的適性服務與家電控制，勢必會成為未來重要的一項發展趨勢，故提出本計畫尋求贊助。 根據現有的資料統計，每年一個國家所消耗的電力有1/3以上是使用在建築物的HVAC系統，主要包括有暖氣、通風設備、冷氣機、電燈以及大樓內其他電器設備，且由於人們用電習慣的不良，大半的能源都浪費掉，因此若是能夠有效調節這些電器所使用的能源，則我們將可以避免不必要的電源浪費，並從而節省十分可觀的能源。就國內讀使用環境來看，燈光與空調設備是HVAC系統中耗電量最多的電器，此外，在公共場所諸如學校或辦公大樓等，時常到了晚上下課下班時人去樓空、卻留下許多未關閉的電燈與冷氣等電器，從而造成大量的電力浪費，因此如何有效判定人們未在使用電器、並有智慧地自動關閉電源，將是一個重要的研究議題。在這方面，國外的研究機構諸如UC Berkeley、CITRIS、Intel Lab等，均利用無線感測器網路的環境感知的特性來監控環境，從而應用在節省HVAC系統所消耗的能源。 基於上述的動機與需求，我們提出了一套以無線感測網路為架構的智慧型省電系統，這套系統不但能夠根據環境狀況來自動關閉未使用的電器外，還提供個人化適性服務，讓電器可以根據人們的需求來作調整，此外，我們這套系統亦提供人性化的管理介面以方便管理；本計劃提出的「無線感測網路應用於能源節約之個人化適性服務」共分為底下幾項： .. 我們以無線感測器來偵測周圍環境的溫度與燈光，並且使用感測器來偵測是否有人員存在某區域，並將這些資料以無線傳輸的方式回報至後端伺服器，而後端伺服器匯整這些資料後，並做出一項最佳的決策，舉例來說，某房間無人存在，但電器仍開啟著，造成了不必要的電力浪費，則本系統會偵測出此種情況，並使用X10協定來將電器關閉，以達到節約能源的效果。 .. 因為每個人的偏好均不相同，例如溫度、光度，每個人所偏好之值均不一致，只要每個人身上帶有一識別裝置，則系統將提供其個人化服務，讓每個人在節能之餘，還能享有最佳的工作環境。 .. 為了管理和維護的方便，系統提供了一套人性化的操作介面，讓使用者可以透過網際網路和系統做溝通，藉此可以從遠端的來管理與維護系統，例如可以從遠端來設定大樓電器的關閉時間，也可以遠端的來將大樓的電器關閉…等。 .. 本系統會整合各電器的特性，來達成省電的效果，舉例來說，若室內溫度超過28度，則自動的開啟冷氣，若低於28度，則開啟電扇即可，系統藉由感測環境資訊，來讓省電和環境舒適之間取得一個最佳的平衡點。 .. 我們也將整合智慧型省電家電和傢俱，例如，當人員坐在辦公椅上時，椅上之壓力感測器測知人員坐上椅子，伺服器自動開啟桌上.燈。當人員離開時，因壓力感測器測知人員不在座位上，即通知伺服器關閉.燈。這個想法是一個智慧型辦公室，並具有節約能源之功效。 本計畫預計完成上述「無線感測網路應用於能源節約之個人化適性服務」的建置；這套系統的成果將可以提供各級學校及公家機關使用，以達成節約電源之目的，除此之外，系統的資料庫統計數據亦可以提供給各級學校及公家機關規劃電量使用情形。長遠而言，更可以教育使用者正確的電器使用習慣。

A wireless sensor network can provide a convenient way to monitor the environment. In the recent years, many researches and studies in both academic and industry have focused on such networks. Achieving energy conservation and providing personalized services on electric appliances by wireless sensor network have become one of the most important issues in the future. This motivates us to propose this project. Based on the report in [1], more than 1/3 of energy in a country is consumed by the HVAC systems in buildings. Such system consists of heating, ventilating air conditioning, lights, and other equipments. In addition, many people forget to turn off these electric appliances when they do not use them. This will cause the waste of a large amount of energy. Therefore, if we can properly turn off these unused electric appliances, we can avoid unnecessary waste of electricity and thus achieve energy conservation. In Taiwan, both light and air condition play an important role of the HVAC system. However, most people leave the building without turn off these electric appliances, which waste a lot of energy. Thus, how to determine whether people use the electric appliances and thus automatically turning off their powers will be a critical issue. To solve this problem, many research groups such as UC Berkeley, CITRIS, and Intel Lab consider to adopt the context-aware capability of wireless sensor networks to save the energy consumed by the HVAC systems. Based on the aforementioned motivations, we propose an energy-conservation system by adopting wireless sensor networks. This system can automatically turn off those unused electric appliances according to the environment and adjust electric appliances based on people』s requirements. In addition, this system provides a user-friendly interface to let people manage the system. This system can provide the following services: .. We use wireless sensors to detect the temperature and light from the environment and to determine whether there are people in the region. This information will be reported to a remote server by wireless communication. Once the server collects the data, it will make the decision. For example, if nobody in the room but the electric appliances are turned on, the server will turn off these unused electric appliances through the X10 protocol. .. Since everyone prefers different temperatures and degrees of light, the system can provide personalized services. In particular, everyone can carry a user identification device so that the system can adjust the electric appliances according to the user』s requirements. .. To manage and maintain the system, this system provides a user-friendly interface to let users control and talk to the system. For example, the user can set up the checking time of electric appliances in different rooms. .. The system can adopt the properties of different electric appliances to conserve energy. For example, when the temperature of a room is higher then 28 degrees, then the air conditioning will be turned on. Otherwise, the system will turn on the electric fan. .. We also dedicate to integrate intelligent energy-efficient equipments and furniture. For example, when a person sits on the chair, the pressure sensors on that chair will detect such event and thus the desk light will be automatically turned on. When he/she leaves, these sensors will also detect the event and inform the server to turn off the desk light. This idea is to combine an smart office with energy-efficient effect. Through this project, we expect to implement the above intelligent energy-conservation system. This system can be used by schools and public agencies. It can also used for statistic purpose. From a long-term view, it can educate people the importance of saving energy.