Development of a Surface Temperature Sensor to Enhance Energy Efficiency Actions in Buildings

The air temperature increase in urban centers can lead to problems such as increased energy consumption associated to air conditioning, the intensification of pollution, human discomfort and health problems. In this context, the building envelope plays an important role in urban thermal equilibrium. Energy efficiency rating systems for buildings (LEED-Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, AQUA-High Environmental Quality, PROCEL Edifica, etc.) stimulate energy efficiency actions in the built environment, considering, for example, the envelope and energy efficiency initiatives in buildings. Research carried out recently has shown that monitoring of buildings can provide important information about building performance, supporting building control strategies and enabling actions aimed at improving energy efficiency and thermal comfort. More specifically, wireless sensors are also being used to monitor buildings. This work proposes and presents the development of a surface temperature sensor that can support actions to enhance energy efficiency in the built environment, meeting the requirements proposed by the energy efficiency rating systems of buildings. This sensor must have characteristics such as low cost, the storage capacity of a large amount of data and the possibility of remote monitoring of the collected temperatures. Computer simulations and validation tests were carried out showing that the proposed sensor allows the remote monitoring (using a wireless transmission system) of the surface temperature in buildings, respecting the requirements of high storage capability and low cost.