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Introduction
The University of Suffolk’s Smart House project, located at Adastral Park, serves as a collaborative research facility to showcase innovative and sustainable home designs. This living laboratory provides a platform for testing and demonstrating technologies that enhance sustainability, energy efficiency, and healthy living environments. Developed in collaboration with various partners, including BT and local industries, the Smart House is a model for future domestic homes, combining ease of maintenance, comfort, and sustainable living.
About the Smart House
The Smart House demonstrates cutting-edge construction techniques, integrating IoT technologies with sustainable materials. Its design includes short-range and long-range network solutions, enabling seamless device connectivity and data accumulation for research. Additionally, rainwater is harvested from the roof into multiple tanks, contributing to efficient water management and sustainability. This harvested water can be repurposed for irrigation and other non-potable uses, reducing dependence on external water supplies. With its focus on energy efficiency, health, and water conservation, the Smart House serves as a venue for studying sustainable living practices.
Smart Irrigation System
Aardra Systems Ltd played a crucial role in the Smart House project by installing their IoT-based smart irrigation system. The system integrates soil moisture sensors, which are strategically placed in planters surrounding the building. These sensors are connected to the Aardra IoT Controller via Sencom, a wireless RF communicator. The IoT Controller transmits the data to the Aardra Cloud backend API, which shares it with the SDS servers. Based on the moisture levels detected, the SDS servers decide whether to initiate irrigation cycles, ensuring water usage is optimised.
The sensors and controllers are powered by solar panels, enhancing the project’s sustainability by reducing reliance on external power sources. This system’s ability to use mobile data networks, including GSM, GPRS, CAT-M1, and NB-IoT, ensures robust connectivity and independence from local Wi-Fi networks. By only irrigating when necessary, the system minimises energy usage and contributes to the broader sustainability goals of the project.
Air Quality Monitoring System
Aardra Systems also installed internal IoT air quality sensors to monitor particulate matter (PM), VOCs, NOx, CO2, temperature, and humidity within the Smart House. These sensors provide valuable insights into how the building’s design, materials, and ventilation systems impact indoor air quality. By leveraging this data, the Smart House can optimise its ventilation systems, promoting healthier living conditions for occupants.
This technology highlights the often-overlooked emissions from everyday household activities and enables interventions to reduce their negative impacts. The integration of air quality monitoring aligns with the Smart House’s mission to support healthy and sustainable living.
Outcomes and Benefits
The collaboration between Aardra Systems Ltd and the University of Suffolk Smart House project has delivered significant benefits:
– Optimised water usage through precise irrigation control.
– Improved indoor air quality, promoting healthier living environments.
– Enhanced sustainability with solar-powered IoT devices and energy-efficient operations.
– Valuable research opportunities through data generated by the systems, contributing to advancements in sustainable living practices.
Conclusion
Aardra Systems Ltd has successfully demonstrated how innovative IoT solutions can be integrated into sustainable housing projects. By contributing smart irrigation and air quality monitoring systems to the University of Suffolk’s Smart House, Aardra Systems has helped create a living laboratory that exemplifies the future of sustainable and healthy living.
