EnerConfort: Low-cost solution for reducing energy consumption and improving comfort in buildings

The building sector accounts for more than 40% of global energy consumption, and the usual solutions for reducing it (improvements to insulation or air conditioning systems) tend to be expensive and do not take occupant comfort into account, even though comfort directly affects both energy consumption and people's well-being. EnerConfort proposed a low-cost solution that combines two approaches: real-time monitoring of the main parameters that govern energy consumption and comfort, and comfort personalization through the quantification of users' subjective perceptions of thermal, lighting, acoustic, and air quality parameters. Integrating both approaches resulted in an expert decision-support system that makes it possible to reach a compromise between minimizing energy consumption and maximizing user comfort.

Objectives:

• To reduce the energy consumption of buildings through a low-cost solution.
• To improve users' thermal, acoustic, lighting, and environmental comfort.
• To monitor in real time the parameters that govern energy consumption and comfort.
• To quantify users' subjective perceptions in order to personalize comfort.
• To develop an expert decision-support system that balances energy consumption and comfort.

CTIC carried out EnerConfort with funding from the Asturias Program 2013-2017, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of the European Union and the Principality of Asturias, through the Plan de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación 2013-2017.