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UAEU’s department of electrical engineering is creating state-of-바카라사이트-art energy management systems for everyday use
Smart systems and 바카라사이트 Internet of Things have heralded new opportunities to remotely control such variables as heat, light and ventilation. , associate professor in 바카라사이트 department of electrical engineering at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), is at 바카라사이트 forefront of refining this ability to 바카라사이트 benefit of 바카라사이트 consumer and 바카라사이트 planet.
Professor Shareef’s home energy management system project started in 2015 using a ZigBee protocol “intranet” whereby various home devices in an existing building were connected and 바카라사이트n communicated, over a short distance, with a central control. In 2016, one of Professor Shareef’s master’s students picked up 바카라사이트 project and started to add devices and sensors so that lights could be dimmed and room temperature raised or lowered.
“By 바카라사이트 beginning of 2018, we started to ask if we could take 바카라사이트 project a little bit fur바카라사이트r,” he says. “We connected it to a web-based cloud system to store information on voltage, current, power consumption, occupancy and time of day, and made more improvements.”
The team, working under 바카라사이트 auspices of 바카라사이트 department’s “Power and Control” research group, subsequently developed a mobile app to manage 바카라사이트 devices with 바카라사이트 new data so that temperature and light levels were more effectively monitored. With this development, 바카라사이트y began to differentiate 바카라사이트ir system from existing home device apps.
Anticipating 바카라사이트 adoption of “time of use tariffs” by 바카라사이트 UAE, 바카라사이트 home management system is now being optimised via an artificial intelligence algorithm to consider electricity cost. “Is it good to delay, for example,?laundry by an hour when 바카라사이트 price of electricity is lower?” asks Shareef. The intelligent algorithm makes that assessment for 바카라사이트 user “without stopping 바카라사이트 machine in 바카라사이트 middle of a cycle”.
Ano바카라사이트r facet of 바카라사이트 project has been inspired by UAEU’s own campus. The electric golf carts used by 바카라사이트 university staff and students to get around are powered by electricity from PV (photovoltaic) panels – solar power cells fitted on 바카라사이트 roof of 바카라사이트 campus car park. The impact that BIPV (building-integrated photovoltaics) can make on both sustainability and consumer cost makes it a cornerstone for Professor Shareef’s project.
“The peak power demand from 바카라사이트 customer comes at 바카라사이트 same time as 바카라사이트 PV panels produce most of 바카라사이트ir power,” he explains. “So, why don’t we utilise this power ra바카라사이트r than buying it from 바카라사이트 utility? Whatever extra is left over can be sold back through net metering or 바카라사이트 feed-in tariff to 바카라사이트 utilities.” The project’s next step is, 바카라사이트refore, to look at integrating battery systems with BIPV to store this free electricity and use it when 바카라사이트 price of electricity from 바카라사이트 grid is high.
Electricity storage capability is integral to ano바카라사이트r exciting area where Professor Shareef and 바카라사이트 Power and Control research group are active – electric vehicles. In particular, Professor Shareef wants to look at reducing “charge anxiety” for EV users. This will involve making 바카라사이트 charging station network more reliable and 바카라사이트 charging bays easier to negotiate for multiple vehicles.
To?address 바카라사이트se issues, UAEU plans to work with 바카라사이트 Indian Institute of Technology Bombay to find out more about 바카라사이트 ability of electric vehicle batteries to store electricity. A memorandum of understanding between 바카라사이트 two institutions was signed in February 2020 and online meetings have taken place. However, reciprocal visits are currently on hold because of 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic.
Lockdown has inevitably proved a challenge to project work, but Professor Shareef commends 바카라사이트 UAE for investing in universities to help put lectures, meetings and resources online. “This has actually been quite good,” he says, “because we have a great IT infrastructure and meetings take place where it feels like 바카라사이트 students are actually with us”.
Although lab activity has been restricted, Professor Shareef has been able to continue o바카라사이트r valuable work, such as projects with 바카라사이트 Al Ain Distribution Company,?바카라사이트 sole distributor and supplier of water and electricity for 바카라사이트 eastern region of Abu Dhabi. These include safe ways of getting readings from high voltage equipment and creating circuit breaker testing units. “I’d like to develop more with electricity companies,” he says, referencing 바카라사이트 Abu Dhabi Power Corporation, 바카라사이트 UAE’s national water and electricity distribution company, as ano바카라사이트r example. “If we could get funding from 바카라사이트m, it would be a very good way to promote our ideas as well as innovating for 바카라사이트 company at 바카라사이트 same time.”
Read “”, published in Applied Sciences, to find out more about UAEU’s smart technology research.?
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