Abstract This paper reviews previous and recent trends in energy management
systems (EMS) and energy information communication technologies (EICT) for
smart home applications. Relevant EMS and EICT publications on smart homes
are reviewed. This paper first analyzes different energy management approaches
for smart home applications, including fuzzy logic, neural networks, heuristic
methods, and evolution-based approaches. Then, various EICT approaches are
surveyed to evaluate the feasibility of smart home applications by discussing
historical developments and introducing advanced EICT methods. Importantly,
this paper contributes to efforts to further advanced energy management technologies for smart home applications.
Keywords Energy management systems
technologies Smart home applications
82.1 Introduction
Smart grid integrates advanced information and communications technologies,
automation, sensing and metering technologies, and energy management techniques to incorporate intelligence and bidirectional flows of information and
electricity throughout a power grid. The smart grid is a modern power grid
infrastructure for better efficiency, reliability, with possible integration of
H.-C. Sun Y.-C. Huang (&) C.-C. Tung
Department of Electrical Engineering, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung,
Taiwan, Republic of China
e-mail: huangyc@csu.edu.tw
C.-M. Huang
Department of Electrical Engineering, Kun Shan University, Tainan,
Taiwan, Republic of China
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renewable and alternative energy sources. Smart grid technologies can schedule
loads at the consumer level to conserve energy, reduce electricity costs, and
facilitate grid operations.
Figure 82.1 shows the smart grid conceptual model [1]. The smart grid enables
the provision of real-time pricing information and other services to consumers,
using smart meters, home automation networks, and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). However, expecting a consumer to create an optimal schedule
from many possibilities is unrealistic. Recently, millions of smart meters, sensors,
and automatic control devices have been deployed in residential and commercial
buildings via two-way communication networks. Furthermore, the on/off, cycling,
or mode switching of appliances can be controlled and monitored wirelessly with a
home energy management system by developing smart appliances and deploying
home area networks (HANs).
Therefore, a smart home energy management system (SHEMS) must be
developed, which requires little consumer attention to set up and allows consumers
to compare costs/benefits with different load schedules. The SHEMS motivates
consumers to actively participate in managing their energy consumption for their
own benefit as well as for the efficient, reliable, and economical operations of a
power grid.
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wide area
network
(WAN)
network
gateway
field area
network
(FAN)
smart
meter
home area
network
(HAN)
communications layer
Fig. 82.1 The smart grid conceptual model
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physical models; random hot water consumption was modeled using statistical
methods. Moreover, user comfort settings were regarded as a set of linear
constraints. Test results confirm that the solution may achieves an optimal balance
between energy cost and user comfort level.
A hybrid forecasting framework [12] was presented to deal with dynamics for
predicting electricity price and demand. The proposed framework integrated a
multi-input multi-output forecasting engine for joint price and demand prediction
with data association mining algorithms. A hybrid approach combing PSO and
fuzzy inference for smart home one-step-ahead load forecasting was presented
[13]. The PSO algorithm firstly determined the locations of fuzzy membership
functions. Then, the fuzzy inference approach was adopted to develop the onestep-ahead load forecasting. Test results confirmed that the proposed approach
possessed better forecasting accuracy than existing methods.
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software. AMI enables meters to measure and record customer electricity use and
then transmits this data over the communications network to a central collection
point, either a utility or a third-party aggregator. Progress in AMI has led to the
development of demand-side management (DSM) programs. DSM is the implementation of policies and integrates various appliances with a smart controller,
capable of bi-directional communication with the utility to control, regulate, and
lower energy consumption.
HANs connect home appliances and devices into an integrated communicative
system that links TVs, lights, appliances, computers, SHEMS, and security systems, among other home systems. All devices are connected to a central access
point (i.e. a hub, node, or router) by wired or wireless networks. Complex HANs
are constructed around a smart meter and a network of smart appliances and
thermostats. HANs integrate multiple appliances and devices into a single cohesive wired or wireless communications command and control network that enables
complete home automation and energy management. All HANs comprise the
following elements: hub, gateway, operating system, network management software, information display, and smart appliances.
Two-way communications networks among utilities, grid operators, and
consumers will lay the foundation for deploying SHEMS. The networks must be
reliable and secure when transmitting enormous volumes of data. Their faulttolerant design resists security breaches and repairs itself during extreme power
demand conditions. Networks that incorporate advanced digital switches and
ubiquitous sensing and response devices allow for the interconnection of many
smart appliances. Several communications platforms are tested for this demanding
and flexible networking system. The most common communications platforms
are power line communications (PLC), broadband over power lines (BPL),
ZigBee, Wi-Fi, Z-wave, and Worldwide interoperability for microwave access
(WiMAX).
While various PLC and BPL-based communications are technically feasible,
no current technologies and protocols are technically mature and cost competitive to represent a viable solution. Although BPL installations are currently
limited in number, significant growth is expected as utilities attempt to improve
communications for a smart grid. ZigBee and Wi-Fi network are integrated via a
common home gateway that provides network interoperability and remote access
to the system. ZigBee is designed for use in applications that require low data
rate, low-cost, low power consumption, and two way wireless communications;
Wi-Fi is designed to provide relatively high data rate communications. Z-Wave
uses a low-power RF radio embedded or retrofitted into home electronics
devices and systems; the Z-Wave wireless protocol is optimized for reliable,
low-latency communication of small data packets. WiMAX is a 4G communication technology that attempts to satisfy the requirements of smart grid-minded
utilities; WiMAX is a standards-based technology that allows for delivery of last
mile wireless broadband access as an alternative to cable and digital subscriber
line.
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82.4 Conclusions
This paper aims to review different energy management approaches for smart
home applications, including fuzzy logic, neural networks, heuristic methods, and
evolution-based approaches. The fuzzy logic was used to combine heterogeneous
sources of information and execute an inference mechanism using IFTHEN rules.
However, the heuristic nature of membership functions and fuzzy rules defined by
expert experience, limit fuzzy logic system performances in real-world applications. Artificial intelligence can be used to implement relatively more powerful,
complex control, decision, and management systems. A hybrid intelligent system
is a good solution when the environment model is so complex that a mathematical
model would be markedly nonlinear or impossible to develop. Therefore, hybrid
intelligent systems for generating control rules derived by learning from examples
should be studied further.
The underlying EICT that enables SHEMS benefits consumers, and the utility is
the availability of an AMI and HAN communication system. For efficacy and easy
deployment, the HAN communication network must be based on a network
technology that utilizes open data architecture, is cheap, consumes a minimum
amount of energy, and does not require extensive new infrastructure. We conclude
that PLC, ZigBee, and Wi-Fi optimally satisfy the requirements for smart home
applications.
Acknowledgments Financial supports from the National Science Council, Taiwan, R.O.C.
under the Grant No. NSC 102-3113-P-006-015 and NSC 101-2632-E-230-001-MY3 are
acknowledged.
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