Fixing/Adding FE system - update

Planner:
- Added plotting the total unlabelled events energy consumption (not fully tested because of the delete function issue)

Logger:
Having played around with the event's selection script, I found that changing the handle from rectangle to other shape is a bit time consuming and it is easy to break down the system. Therefore, I decided to implement another shape, which is a smaller rectangle with the half-circle inside itself. It looks better than before :).
I am trying to find out how to change to mouse cursor to hand when we hover over the event's handle, then remote desktop shut-down :(!!!

Fixing/Adding FE system - update

Logger:
- Added the scale unit
- Added the pan (left, right) function. The slow pan should move about 1/5 of the screen. The fast pan should move about 1/1 of the screen
- Don't display the date if the size of the bar is smaller than the size of the text.
- Displayed the full date in the day bar if the number of days from the logger graph is less than 3 days. Removed displaying the full date details when zooming in to the certain levels (2 days)

Planner:
- Having attempted to add more information to the event title, so when we hover over the event, the information such as event's name and events' energy consumption should be given to the users . However I found that the title itself has been used as a dynamic role to link the event's consumption to the system. I just tried to change it and it has broken the whole system :(. Therefore, I think I need to come up with an idea of transferring the data between the front-end event with the system.

To aim:
- Finish the planner design on Friday 08/04/2011
- Fix others in Logger on next Monday

Then,
- Learn the study design mechanism
- Finish the study preparation till the end of next week 15 April 2011

Then,
- Start the experiment from 18 April 2011

Fixing/Adding FE system - update

Logger:
- Correctly adjust the date when using zoom in, zoom out, moving left and right
- Fixed the data displayed in Logger
- Fixed the synchronisation between the zoom function and the date-picker
- Added the day graph beneath the data to show the day name of the date. This graph is only showed if the number of days from the graph data is less than 15 days.


Planner:
- Showed the warning message the total energy consumption of events is higher than the goal energy setting.

Fixing/Adding FE system - update

A few update for the FE system:

For the planner:
- Added the new way of inserting events.
- Highlight the new event by using the dark green color
- Fixed the goal energy and the goal line.
- Subtract the energy consumption of the events by the day baseline

Logger:
- Moved the baseline dataset calculation from javascript to the backend server.
- Initially display the date selection for both logger and planner tabs

Intel Home Energy Management Systems

I have just received a link, shared by Oli about Intel home energy management system. It was so impressive after watching "Intel Home Dashboard energy monitor", this could be a leader in the near future. I found this very useful because the utility goals are very close of what I am plan to do now.

http://www.stuff.tv/news/life-etc/stuff/intel-home-dashboard-energy-monitor-concept

http://www.intel.com/embedded/energy/homeenergy/demo/index.html

The concept is to encourage people to reduce in peak energy demand by providing consumers with a real-time view of their energy usage and utility pricing on a networked in-home display (IHD).

"Power utilities are exploring the potential of IHD units to help customers manage energy consumption and control costs. The displays could provide users with real-time data on their current energy consumption, real-time costs, and the potential savings that can be achieved by turning off or rescheduling the use of appliances."

"Shifting the use of major appliances such as dishwashers and clothes dryers to hours with lower overall electricity usage can help utilities meet demand and help consumers save energy under demand-based pricing plans.

Providing real-time information linked to such dynamic pricing may be a winning combination for consumers who want to cut energy costs. When surveyed, 69 percent of consumers indicated high interest in IHDs.² Another recent study, conducted for the European Union, indicates that demand response mechanisms could lead to annual savings of 25 billion Euro.³"

Networked IHDs can provide families with a broad range of readouts to help them take control of energy consumption:

• Cost of electricity being consumed at the moment
• Monthly electricity costs
• Daily costs for major appliances
• Current month's usage compared to the same month in the prior year
• The household's CO₂ emissions per day or month

In-home displays can also tell consumers how their personal energy consumption compares to similar households, including tabulations of average usage in the neighborhood and the lowest usage by any household. When connected with a photovoltaic solar system, the IHD can provide a graphic real-time indicator of energy savings achieved in homes and commercial sites, such as stores and supermarkets. [1]

[1] http://www.intel.com/embedded/intelligence/applications/in-home-displays-cut-energy-costs.htm

Fixing/Adding FE system

I have focused on fixing some features on FE system. A few update for this system:

1 - In Logger tab:
- Added the baseline (always on energy) to the graph. The baseline is calculated by taking a minimum point of the moving average line. The sub-set size for calculating the baseline is 3 (in day unit.).

2 - For Planner tab:
- Subtracted the baseline (always on) energy on events.
- Sorted the events in the practice box in descending order of the energy consumption.
- Scale-down 4 times the size of the events inside the practice box.
- Automatically set the goal of energy consumption down to 10% from the total energy
- Draw a goal line inside the practice box.

Modelling problem

I think I am in good track to mathematically model the energy problem for 9-month report using multi-agent systems.

Typically, one of the solution to reduce energy costs and carbon emission is to flatten the energy consumption as much as possible. Given this, my model generally has three main things to sum up:

- Tasks allocation (agent can schedule  the list of activities on the specific time scale for consumers)

- Human-Agent Interaction (Users can interact with the scheduling)

- Agent can learn activities in the past to have a better schedule in the future.

This model also takes FigureEnergy into account as the system requires users to annotate their activities daily.

I am writing up my models soon after having discussion with my supervisors :).