Asynchronous Sensor System for Collecting Detailed Data on the Environment and Resource Consumption in Smart City

TL;DR

This paper proposes an asynchronous sensor monitoring system for smart cities that collects detailed environmental and resource consumption data, reducing costs and increasing data value to promote sustainable urban development.

Contribution

It introduces a novel asynchronous monitoring method that simplifies sensors, standardizes protocols, and enhances data granularity for smart city applications.

Findings

Enables more detailed and valuable data collection.

Reduces sensor and system costs significantly.

Facilitates new market opportunities for resource and environmental data.

Abstract

This article expands on the ideas presented in arXiv:1910.08759. The article demonstrates that within a unified monitoring system, cities can collect not only detailed resource consumption data but also information on the environmental conditions under a common set of rules. A method for constructing asynchronous sensor monitoring systems for controlled parameters in Smart City is proposed. The controlled parameters include: resource consumption in apartment buildings (electricity, cold and hot water, heat, gas); indoor and outdoor air pollution indicators (carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, dust, heavy metals, radiation levels, etc.); meteorological parameters (air temperature and humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction). In an asynchronous sensor monitoring system, an event occurs when the value of a controlled parameter changes by a specified amount. This enables adjusting the granularity of the collected data. More detailed data contains more information and is therefore more valuable. Transitioning from traditional synchronous systems, where the value of a controlled parameter is recorded at set time intervals, to asynchronous systems allows for the abandonment of complex "smart meters" and the use of extremely simple and inexpensive sensors. Standardizing the data transmission protocol for all types of controlled parameters and reducing the cost of the most widespread equipment in the system -- sensors -- leads to lower expenses for creating and operating a monitoring system. Lower costs and increased value of collected data enable the potential opening of a new market -- a market for data on resource consumption and environmental parameters in Smart City, attracting private businesses to this area and accelerating the energy transition towards a global economy with zero greenhouse gas emissions.