The question of energy optimization of buildings is one of the major challenges of the coming decades, as evidenced by the recent objective of COP21 to limit carbon emissions in the atmosphere. We focus on optimizing the use of existing buildings, made possible by the increasing availability of ambient technologies in housing: increasingly flexible (for example, fine modulation of heating power, lighting intensity, etc.) and communicating equipment, allowing their integration into an automated system. The research activities illustrated on the "Eco-sur" demonstrator are part of the overall context of "supervision of smart habitats" and concern more the problem of "Surveillance and security of smart habitats by optimized management of energy consumed". The following issues are specifically addressed:
— implementation of control strategies meeting the requirements of a smart habitat (hygrothermal comfort, luminous, sound, security constraints, etc.) while minimizing energy consumption. The instrumentation must be sufficient to allow reconfigurability studies;
— limitation of energy breaks by multiplying and controlling the different energy sources (photovoltaic panels, batteries, network);
— limitation of sensor energy consumption by optimizing communication protocols;
— implementation of a reconfigurable sensor network in the event of a failure of one of its components or errors in data transmission.
The Éco-Sûr platform includes a large number of sensors and actuators useful for the "smart building". It allows the experimental implementation of various control laws under conditions close to reality. A set of sensors first allows the measurement of thermal and luminous quantities that influence the system: it is a question of measuring, outside, the climatic conditions (temperature, sunshine, wind, rainfall, etc.) but also, inside, of measuring the temperature at certain characteristic points, thanks to wireless sensor networks, which can be positioned according to the experiments. In addition, fixed sensors for temperature, radiative temperature, relative humidity, and turbulence are used to estimate the perceived temperature. The opening of doors and windows, the electrical energy consumed, and the presence of humans in the rooms are also measured quantities. Then, actuators are used to cool or heat the three zones, to create air flows with the outside, or between the rooms. It is also possible to control blinds, modulate lighting, and control certain electrical appliances. An air handling unit (figure 29) is installed. It is associated with the creation:
— of a Wago PLC programming space from a computer allowing users to program or dialogue with different systems
1. action on the ventilation terminals;
2. dialogue with the heat pump via a communication protocol;
3. dialogue with the energy meter;
4. read/write in communication tables;
— of a functional program for the proper regulation of the air handling system and the various sensors, actuators associated with it;
— of imagery allowing to visualize the temperature parameters, the signals of the valves, . . . ;
— of an electrical cabinet containing all the sensors and power and control actuators.
Finally, software modules allow experimenters to access equipment data or external data sources (weather forecasts) homogeneously and to implement different control laws of the system.