The Characteristics of Smart Energy Information Management Systems for Built Environments

Sustainable Energy Management is a critical aspect of improving efficiency and sustainability in the built environment and industry. It forms the basis for most of the cost-effective emission reductions for any given entity and improving the interior climate of a large entity. It, therefore, becomes very important to understand the baseline and monitor energy consumption periodically to proactively manage it, and as required address the gaps in improvement. An Energy Information Management System (EIMS) therefore becomes an indispensable tool for this purpose. Based on a review of the literature and practical experience, this paper provides a refreshed insight into the technologies and features that such a system should have. The latest development in the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies has led to the development of stronger capabilities for data acquisition and communication for an optimized and cost-effective energy system. The enhancement in data analytics and modeling capabilities further add to the versatility in offerings and insights that such a system may provide. Therefore, it is important that an EIMS not only provides a strong information delivery mechanism subsequent to data collection but also includes expert knowledge that ensures that the stakeholders of this system receive purposeful and useful knowledge and information, not just data. This study identifies the essential characteristics of a smart EIMS for a large entity which normally includes multiple buildings and complexes with different applications, such as city councils. The features analyzed cover the required hardware and software to collect, analyze and translate energy and exterior data into information at the required level of security to identify gaps easily, predict performance and make quick decisions, resulting in an enhancement of energy efficiency and interior climate.