An intelligent system for energy management in smart cities based on big data and ontology

Purpose This research paper aims at proposing a framework based on semantic integration in Big Data for saving energy in smart cities. The presented approach highlights the potential opportunities offered by Big Data and ontologies to reduce energy consumption in smart cities. Design/methodology/approach This study provides an overview of semantics in Big Data and reviews various works that investigate energy saving in smart homes and cities. To reach this end, we propose an efficient architecture based on the cooperation between ontology, Big Data, and Multi-Agent Systems. Furthermore, the proposed approach shows the strength of these technologies to reduce energy consumption in smart cities. Findings Through this research, we seek to clarify and explain both the role of Multi-Agent System and ontology paradigms to improve systems interoperability. Indeed, it is useful to develop the proposed architecture based on Big Data. This study highlights the opportunities offered when they are combined together to provide a reliable system for saving energy in smart cities. Practical implications The significant advancement of contemporary applications (smart cities, social networks, health care, IoT, etc.) requires a vast emergence of Big Data and semantics technologies in these fields. The obtained results provide an improved vision of energy-saving and environmental protection while keeping the inhabitants' comfort. Originality/value This work is an efficient contribution that provides more comprehensive solutions to ontology integration in the Big Data environment. We have used all available data to reduce energy consumption, promote the change of inhabitant's behavior, offer the required comfort, and implement an effective long-term energy policy in a smart and sustainable environment.