Elis: An Open Platform for Mobile Energy Efficiency Services in Buildings

• Main Authors: Paul Davidsson, Ulrik Eklund, Carl Magnus Olsson
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-02-01
• Series: Sustainability
• Subjects: energy efficiency; building management; mobile services; internet of things; software platforms; open source
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/3/858

The recent years have witnessed an enormous growth of mobile services for energy management in buildings. However, these solutions are often proprietary, non-interoperable, and handle only a limited function, such as lighting, ventilation, or heating. To address these issues, we have developed an open platform that is an integrated energy management solution for buildings. It includes an ecosystem of mobile services and open APIs as well as protocols for the development of new services and products. Moreover, it has an adapter layer that enables the platform to interoperate with any building management system (BMS) or individual device. Thus, the platform makes it possible for third-party developers to produce mobile energy efficiency applications that will work independently of which BMS and devices are used in the building. To validate the platform, a number of services have been implemented and evaluated in existing buildings. This has been done in cooperation with energy companies and property owners, together with the residents and other users of the buildings. The platform, which we call Elis, has been made available as open source software under an MIT license.