The Internet of Things

Over 10 years ago I remember attending an IBM presentation on the internet of 'things'. Although 10 years is a long time in computing it seems like there has been more talk than progress.The technology to communicate with wireless devices in order to measure or control is still some way off if my research is accurate. Zigbee looks exciting but products are hard to find. Xbee is the most interesting implementation.

Monitoring Systems

Until smart meters become a reality then reading gas consumption is a problem. Somehow a way of reading mechanical numerals and/or a rotating pointer had to be found. Previously, I'd seen discussion on the CurrentCost forum but drew the conclusion it was mostly work in progress. A search of the web revealed a device for reading the meter via the pointer and much more. In brief a wealth of technology was found by the name of Zigbee, Xbee, Arduino to name a few. These encompass both commercial and amateur solutions for monitoring and control. More research on this to come.

Comparing Estimated to Actual Energy Loss

Having estimated heat loss by calculation it seemed a good idea to see if the results compared well to actual heat loss. To do this required measuring gas consumption. A series of manual readings were taken but it became obvious that these were not accurate enough for the one hour test intervals.  An automated solution such as the Current Cost device used on the electricity meter would be ideal. Some investigation was required.

The results of the gas readings plotted against outside temperature can be found on www.conserveandsave.co.uk. As can be seen there is no discernable correlation and hence the need for finer measurement over the time period.

House energy survey

Priorities have been set by 2 main influences; cost and comfort. Perhaps the most urgent being comfort and this manifests itself as draughts. Surprisingly the major culprit are the double glazed windows. Replacement seals were purchased from Screwfix but with little improvement. The problem is in the frames. Whether this was during manufacture or fitting is hard to know but they are well out of any warranty. A problem to be resolved.

Survey, Estimate, Measure and Controls

Work to date has been in four areas.
Survey - To identify obvious areas of energy inefficiency such as draughts.
Estimate - To quantify loss to determine where money and effort will be best invested.
Measure - To obtain actual consumption figures to compare against estimates and investigate how consumption is influenced by such factors as wind.
Control - To evaluate how well the current controls e.g. lighht switches, thermostats contribute to inefficiency and discomfort.

More information on the first two can be found at the companion site www.conserveandsave.co.uk