Technical Analysis of Comfort and Energy Consumption in Smart Buildings With Three Levels of Automation: Scheduling, Smart Sensors, and IoT

Energy consumption and efficiency, along with occupant well-being, are key global challenges across various sectors, especially in the industrial and residential domains. Building automation, which exists at multiple levels, plays a crucial role in addressing these challenges. This study evaluates t...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rahmat Aazami, Mohammad Moradi, Mohammadamin Shirkhani, Ambe Harrison, Saad F. Al-Gahtani, Z. M. S. Elbarbary
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IEEE 2025-01-01
Series:IEEE Access
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10830525/
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1841536195993010176
author Rahmat Aazami
Mohammad Moradi
Mohammadamin Shirkhani
Ambe Harrison
Saad F. Al-Gahtani
Z. M. S. Elbarbary
author_facet Rahmat Aazami
Mohammad Moradi
Mohammadamin Shirkhani
Ambe Harrison
Saad F. Al-Gahtani
Z. M. S. Elbarbary
author_sort Rahmat Aazami
collection DOAJ
description Energy consumption and efficiency, along with occupant well-being, are key global challenges across various sectors, especially in the industrial and residential domains. Building automation, which exists at multiple levels, plays a crucial role in addressing these challenges. This study evaluates three distinct levels of automation—scheduling-based, sensor-based, and IoT-enabled control—allowing a clear comparison of each system’s effectiveness in managing energy consumption and enhancing occupant comfort. This approach simplifies the decision-making process by identifying the level of control that optimally balances energy efficiency with thermal comfort requirements, particularly in residential contexts. The integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) into building control systems, a hallmark of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, further enhances these capabilities. Building automation and control systems can be categorized into standard and advanced systems. Conventional control methods fall short of meeting the increasingly complex demands of smart buildings. However, leveraging IoT in smart building design can significantly enhance quality of life by making smart systems more efficient, optimizing resource allocation, and improving management capabilities and services. A key application of IoT in smart buildings is the efficient management of HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems, which enhances occupant comfort while reducing energy consumption. This paper presents a simulation of a residential building in Ilam, where energy consumption and occupant comfort levels are analyzed across various scenarios. The study identifies optimal conditions for both energy efficiency and resident well-being. By evaluating a residential building, this research compares energy consumption and comfort across basic scheduling, sensor-based control, and advanced IoT-enabled automation levels. Optimal configurations that improve energy savings and occupant comfort are identified, highlighting the effectiveness of IoT integration in HVAC management. The results demonstrate that advanced automation, particularly IoT-based control, offers significant advantages for energy management and comfort optimization in residential buildings.
format Article
id doaj-art-a2ce42f165e94d218019d7200cd015cd
institution Kabale University
issn 2169-3536
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher IEEE
record_format Article
series IEEE Access
spelling doaj-art-a2ce42f165e94d218019d7200cd015cd2025-01-15T00:02:46ZengIEEEIEEE Access2169-35362025-01-01138310832610.1109/ACCESS.2025.352685810830525Technical Analysis of Comfort and Energy Consumption in Smart Buildings With Three Levels of Automation: Scheduling, Smart Sensors, and IoTRahmat Aazami0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1585-029XMohammad Moradi1Mohammadamin Shirkhani2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9945-5635Ambe Harrison3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4353-1261Saad F. Al-Gahtani4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7686-871XZ. M. S. Elbarbary5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1750-9244Department of Electrical Engineering, Smart Electric Distribution Networks Laboratory, Ilam University, Ilam, IranDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Smart Electric Distribution Networks Laboratory, Ilam University, Ilam, IranDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Smart Electric Distribution Networks Laboratory, Ilam University, Ilam, IranDepartment of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, College of Technology (COT), University of Buea, Buea, CameroonElectrical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Engineering, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi ArabiaEnergy consumption and efficiency, along with occupant well-being, are key global challenges across various sectors, especially in the industrial and residential domains. Building automation, which exists at multiple levels, plays a crucial role in addressing these challenges. This study evaluates three distinct levels of automation—scheduling-based, sensor-based, and IoT-enabled control—allowing a clear comparison of each system’s effectiveness in managing energy consumption and enhancing occupant comfort. This approach simplifies the decision-making process by identifying the level of control that optimally balances energy efficiency with thermal comfort requirements, particularly in residential contexts. The integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) into building control systems, a hallmark of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, further enhances these capabilities. Building automation and control systems can be categorized into standard and advanced systems. Conventional control methods fall short of meeting the increasingly complex demands of smart buildings. However, leveraging IoT in smart building design can significantly enhance quality of life by making smart systems more efficient, optimizing resource allocation, and improving management capabilities and services. A key application of IoT in smart buildings is the efficient management of HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems, which enhances occupant comfort while reducing energy consumption. This paper presents a simulation of a residential building in Ilam, where energy consumption and occupant comfort levels are analyzed across various scenarios. The study identifies optimal conditions for both energy efficiency and resident well-being. By evaluating a residential building, this research compares energy consumption and comfort across basic scheduling, sensor-based control, and advanced IoT-enabled automation levels. Optimal configurations that improve energy savings and occupant comfort are identified, highlighting the effectiveness of IoT integration in HVAC management. The results demonstrate that advanced automation, particularly IoT-based control, offers significant advantages for energy management and comfort optimization in residential buildings.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10830525/Internet of Things (IoT)HVACsensordiscomfortcoolingheating
spellingShingle Rahmat Aazami
Mohammad Moradi
Mohammadamin Shirkhani
Ambe Harrison
Saad F. Al-Gahtani
Z. M. S. Elbarbary
Technical Analysis of Comfort and Energy Consumption in Smart Buildings With Three Levels of Automation: Scheduling, Smart Sensors, and IoT
IEEE Access
Internet of Things (IoT)
HVAC
sensor
discomfort
cooling
heating
title Technical Analysis of Comfort and Energy Consumption in Smart Buildings With Three Levels of Automation: Scheduling, Smart Sensors, and IoT
title_full Technical Analysis of Comfort and Energy Consumption in Smart Buildings With Three Levels of Automation: Scheduling, Smart Sensors, and IoT
title_fullStr Technical Analysis of Comfort and Energy Consumption in Smart Buildings With Three Levels of Automation: Scheduling, Smart Sensors, and IoT
title_full_unstemmed Technical Analysis of Comfort and Energy Consumption in Smart Buildings With Three Levels of Automation: Scheduling, Smart Sensors, and IoT
title_short Technical Analysis of Comfort and Energy Consumption in Smart Buildings With Three Levels of Automation: Scheduling, Smart Sensors, and IoT
title_sort technical analysis of comfort and energy consumption in smart buildings with three levels of automation scheduling smart sensors and iot
topic Internet of Things (IoT)
HVAC
sensor
discomfort
cooling
heating
url https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10830525/
work_keys_str_mv AT rahmataazami technicalanalysisofcomfortandenergyconsumptioninsmartbuildingswiththreelevelsofautomationschedulingsmartsensorsandiot
AT mohammadmoradi technicalanalysisofcomfortandenergyconsumptioninsmartbuildingswiththreelevelsofautomationschedulingsmartsensorsandiot
AT mohammadaminshirkhani technicalanalysisofcomfortandenergyconsumptioninsmartbuildingswiththreelevelsofautomationschedulingsmartsensorsandiot
AT ambeharrison technicalanalysisofcomfortandenergyconsumptioninsmartbuildingswiththreelevelsofautomationschedulingsmartsensorsandiot
AT saadfalgahtani technicalanalysisofcomfortandenergyconsumptioninsmartbuildingswiththreelevelsofautomationschedulingsmartsensorsandiot
AT zmselbarbary technicalanalysisofcomfortandenergyconsumptioninsmartbuildingswiththreelevelsofautomationschedulingsmartsensorsandiot