This Key Exploitable Result addresses energy inefficiency in buildings and cities caused by centralised and inflexible systems. It proposes a distributed IoT-Edge-Cloud platform that integrates IoT sensors, edge nodes with Virtual Objects (VOs) and cloud services for smarter, safer and real-time energy management. The solution enables local decision-making, reduces energy consumption and improves HVAC system efficiency through the use of embedded artificial intelligence (TinyML and microCEP engines) for presence detection and the use of an IP Camera to detect precise room occupancy. It also incorporates decentralised identity and distributed access control technologies to ensure security and interoperability between devices and organisations.
The main benefit of UC3 is its efficient energy management in smart buildings and cities, reducing energy consumption and associated emissions thanks to distributed automation based on IoT, Edge Computing and artificial intelligence. The combination of local analysis using VOs, intelligent control of HVAC systems and technologies such as TinyML allows energy consumption to be adapted to real demand in real time. In addition, the integration of secure access mechanisms and protected data sharing ensures the security and interoperability of the system. In terms of exploitation, UC3 lays the foundations for the development and commercialisation of advanced energy management solutions, led by ODINS with the support of SIEMENS, aimed at meeting the demanding SLAs of modern urban environments. These solutions can be easily scaled and integrated into existing smart city and connected building platforms, facilitating their adoption by both public administrations and the private sector.
The solution developed at UC3 makes use of the VOStack by integrating Virtual Objects (VOs) deployed on Edge nodes to manage energy consumption in smart buildings in a distributed and intelligent manner. In contrast to traditional smart buildings solutions, which relies on centralised technologies, this solution enables real-time local decisions based on data collected by different sensors and devices, reducing latency and energy consumption. Additionally, UC3 incorporates embedded artificial intelligence capabilities (TinyML and MicroCEP engines) to predict presence in rooms, as well as real occupancy data using an IP Camera with person detection to optimise the operation of HVAC systems. The VOStack also integrates advanced security features on the basis of decentralised identity technologies (DIDs), OIDC protocols, Verifiable Credentials and Verifiable Presentations, and distributed access control using DLT, secure data sharing between heterogeneous devices and different organisational domains.
At the end of the NEPHELE project, KER will achieve TRL 6. It is expected further development will take at least 5 years before the KER can be commercialized, given market conditions and industry needs will evolve according to current assumptions.
Smart building and smart city energy management market, with growing demand for IoT-Edge-Cloud integrated solutions.
Citizens, Local Governments, Building Managers, Energy Communities.
Energy management in buildings and cities is still inefficient because centralised and inefficient systems are used. The absence of integration of IoT sensors, edge controllers and cloud platforms hinders a dynamic reaction to actual environmental conditions (e.g., occupancy, temperature or air quality). In addition, centralised processing generates bottlenecks and wasted energy consumption, while data exchange between heterogeneous systems presents interoperability and security issues. UC3 overcomes these challenges by means of a distributed IoT-Edge-Cloud architecture providing intelligent, distributed and secure management of energy consumption.