An IoT-based automation system for older homes: A use case for lighting system

The integration of Internet of Things (IoT) platforms in modern buildings has started to offer diverse services for residents comfort and wellbeing. However, in addition to modern buildings, where the use of IoT starts from the planning and design stages, older homes (i.e. homes constructed more than a decade ago) also have high potential to employ such platforms and benefit from them. This paper presents the potential gained benefits of such IoT implementations for older homes by proposing an IoT-enabled control mechanism. Moreover, we illustrate the impact of using IoT on reducing the energy consumption of a home while ensuring comfort for the residents. To this end, we develop a test-bed for an IoT platform where we use light sensors to monitor the indoor ambient light. We then define a control mechanism for the smart lighting system that is functional on the IoT gateway and designed to control and adjust the dimmable light sources. Through simulations, we compare the conventional system power consumption (CSPC) of homes with the smart system power consumption (SSPC) defined by our control mechanism. The SSPC results demonstrate the potential advantages of using IoT-enabled control systems in older homes. In our case, the savings are in the form of reducing power consumed for lighting while ensuring visual comfort for the residents.