Green IT!

Abstract

Green IT! is a platform developed for home owners, for use in the Maltese Islands, to design, build and monitor energy efficiency in their homes. Energy efficiency in homes is attributed to various aspects: site orientation, glazing and shading, building material and insulation, lighting, domestic appliances, HVAC (Heat, Ventilation and Air Condition) units and alternative energy sources. All these, together with room measurements, previous electricity consumption bills, if applicable, and the electricity utility rate are used to construct a room profile. Green IT! can then be used to view related calculation results in the form of daily energy consumption of appliances, total annual cost and energy consumption per room, total carbon footprint generated annually, total heat generated in the room, ideal air condition capacity, ideal PV system that makes user independent of the national electrical grid, ideal number of lighting fixtures in a room. Moreover, Green IT! can evaluate a room profile and provide suggestions for the user to improve the energy efficiency in the room. The user can run simulations and the daily, annual and seasonal energy consumption is monitored by Green IT!. Green IT! assures an overall success to accurately measure a room profile's energy consumption and successfully gives suggestions and simulates a room profile. As also reported in the evaluation stage, home owners found Green IT! to be useful and helpful in providing ideas to help reduce energy consumption and increase energy efficiency.