A Multi-sensor Office-building Database for Experimental Validation and Advanced Control Algorithm Development

Data from multiple sensors and actuators has been recorded from December 2001 to March 2008 at the LESO-PB building of the EPFL campus, using the EIB/KNX bus standard. Sensors and actuators provided data on room temperature, presence, lighting level, windows opening, blinds position, electric lights and heating power. Weather data has also been collected and includes ambient temperature, solar radiation on a horizontal surface (direct and diffuse components), wind speed and direction and rain alarm. The data was written continuously to a MySQL database, each EIB/KNX telegram being recorded into the database. The primary goal of that setup was the experimental validation and checking of advanced control algorithms for the actuation of solar shadings (outside fabric blinds), electric lighting and heating equipment. With the aid of the database it was shown that such control algorithms were able to reduce significantly the energy consumption while keeping the same comfort or even improving it. Since 2002, the database has been used in various research projects carried out in LESO-PB. As of 2014 the database has been made freely accessible to the scientific community as a tool to work on.