Wireless Measurement and Control of the Indoor Environment in Buildings

University Of California-Berkeley, Berkeley CA

Investigators

Abstract

As the information available to a building's control system is increased, its control can become more sophisticated, and improve the operation of the building. Improvements can be obtained through: reduced energy consumption in lighting, ventilation, and temperature control systems, improved comfort and productivity of occupants, and improved safety. Unfortunately, the cost of adding to a building's sensor network is significant; involving not only the cost of the sensors themselves, but also the expense of running wire between the sensor and the control system. As a result, most buildings are operated with few sensors installed, a situation that contributes to low efficiency, poor indoor environmental quality, and increased operating cost. Recently, sensors based on micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology have been developed that offer the potential to run indefinitely without the need for wires for either communication or power. MEEMS technology uses the semi-conductor fabrication techniques traditionally employed in making integrated circuits, to produce many types of devices, including sensors, radios, batteries, and power collecting devices. The technology has the potential to eliminate the wire required for sensors in buildings because the devices can be made extremely small, thus requiring little power. In this research, the building control capabilities of the Center for the Build Environment (CBE) at UC Berkeley are combined with the microfabrication capabilities of the Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center (BSAC), also at UC Berkeley. This project is intended to provide the initial funding for a program designed to investigate the potential for applying MEMS technology to building control systems. It is expected that the cost reduction potential and increased information density achievable with MEMS technology will fundamentally change the way that buildings are controlled.