In more detail, the ChArGED overall system incorporates:

A. Multi- level energy disaggregation that will be implemented using commercially available central energy smart meters, smart plugs, and non-expensive sensors (NFC tags, iBeacons) to enable:

  • Accurate consumption monitoring at the appliance level
  • Non-intrusive event monitoring at distribution board level
  • Individual energy consumption monitoring at user level

B. An Internet of Things (IoT) and Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) exploiting Java enterprise frameworks, and OSGi technology to interconnect subsystems and remotely read the smart meters, smart plugs and NFC/iBeacon tags and smartphones. Major part of the architecture is the cloud based backend system that collects the energy consumption per appliance and per user and intelligently correlates them to derive the current user behaviour and the building energy consumption. The cloud infrastructure as a service (IaaS) enhances the potential to involve in the future other buildings and public entities and consequently to expand the ChArGED users.

C. A cleanweb gamified application for portable / mobile devices that implements novel concepts for attractive and engaging user-centred motivational paths towards education of efficient use of resources, is supported by social networking technologies that allow people to team up and participate in competitions or coordinate energy consumption in novel ways and finally is designed to provide personalized motivation for participating players based on their progression in consuming resources efficiently.

D. Micro-generation as an integral component of ChArGED, as patterns of energy wastage render energy spending unpredictable and patterns of energy use are generally not aligned with production levels of renewable energy sources.

ChArGED gamified application aims to reduce inefficient consumption and thus improve the predictability of baseline energy spending. This will enable optimised scheduling and when correlated with real-time and predicted levels of micro-generation can be used in order to lead end-users to use locally produced energy when available and to reduce consumption when most power comes from the grid.