SAVE ENERGY Technological Platform

Each pilot is equipped with a local technology platform comprised by sensors, smart meters and actuators linked to the building management systems which provide real time energy consumption data from lighting fixtures, ventilation, air conditioning equipment, electrical appliances, office equipment and other devices. The data is gathered locally and integrated with a remote platform that aggregates, analyzes and distributes real time information to be published on the Web or on mobile devices like mobile phones and PDAs. The effect of behaviour transformation over energy consumption can be simulated by multichannel serious games.

One of the most innovative aspects of the technological platform is the interoperability of several technologies, communication protocols and equipment standards to provide a seamless environment of devices and interfaces where users will be able to interact and proactively act upon the building performance to increase its energy efficiency.

SAVE ENERGY Platform Architecture

Building Management Systems

The network of sensors in each pilot is connected to a controller that also receives the information of smart metering devices and sends out information to the actuators. Besides the data related to electricity consumption, the platform monitors temperature inside and outside the building, natural light levels so that these parameters can be evaluated and compared with known patterns of energy consumptions to identify sources of waste. These devices also enable the user to act through commands sent from a PC, a PDA or a mobile-phone via wireless communications and save energy.

The gathered data feeds the real time information systems and, combined with best practice models, also generates a set of options for building managers to make decision about the building consumption patterns. The building management systems data is also used as an input for the serious game which is customized to each pilot particular environment, providing an engaging virtual environment for citizens, public servants and policy makers to gain awareness, understanding and experience regarding to the issues associated with energy efficiency in public buildings.

Real Time Information on energy Consumption

It is argued that real time information help not only to sustain a desired behaviour transformation [1] but foster sustainable behaviour as well as [2]. Moreover, previous research suggests that real time information systems, when combined with education and incentives, may interest, motivate and empower people to reduce the unnecessary use of resources [3].

SAVE ENERGY real time information systems integrate, and make interoperable, a large set of existing ICT applications to trigger alerts and guide relevant stakeholders through the decision process required to maximize energy efficiency. The real time services are considered critical to promote and sustain user behaviour transformation in public buildings, where the main users, namely public servants and citizens, are rarely informed about the environmental and economic impact of their actions and attitudes in the overall building energy consumption patterns.

SAVE ENERGY Serious game

Serious games exploits game technology and game design principles to rise above pure entertainment adding layers of simulation, learning and decision making to real life problems. According to the experiences acquired in past European projects [4], the game play allows a more effective interpretation and implementation of sustainable energy policies namely energy efficiency practices. Citizens and public servants may become aware and simulate the consequences of living in a world of ever more expensive energy and the potential impact (economic, environment and political) of their current individual or overall energy consumption patterns in public buildings.

The SAVE ENERGY serious game creates a challenging and fun experience for players that span from the pilot buildings’ users to the home hobbyist that comes across this game. While doing this, the game also shapes the player’s behaviour towards energy saving issues. This is accomplished by associating the player’s performance and score to correct decisions and actual energy saved.

The serious game is set in virtual environments that recreate daily situations of energy consumption related to the scope of the project pilots, namely offices and public buildings. Offices and public buildings both represent shared spaces among users, so this is clearly represented throughout the game. The scenarios are typified versions of carefully selected areas of the pilots with both private working areas and shared spaces to depict the largest amount of situations where energy saving can be achieved. The serious game also offers a good game play experience being played either as a single player or within a community.

[1] Kotler, P. and N. Lee (2008). Social marketing: influencing behaviors for good. Los Angeles, Sage Publications.
[2] Doug McKenzie-Mohr and W. A. Smith (1999). Fostering sustainable behavior: an introduction to community-based social marketing.
[3] John E. Petersen, Vladislav Shunturov, et al. (2007). “Dormitory residents reduce electricity consumption when exposed to real-time visual feedback and incentives.” International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education Vol. 8 (No. 1): pp. 16-33
[4] A. Oliveira, “PRIME Virtual Business World: A Serious Game for Global Manufacturing Strategy”, HICSS40 2007, Hawaii, USA, 3rd to 6th January 2007