A Framework for Energy-Efficiency in Smart Home Environments

A resource-efficient Europe is a pillar of the EU 2020 program which aims at smart, sustainable, inclusive growth. The diffusion of smart networked environments, wherein humans, intelligent agents and devices collaborate, is fundamental for achieving energy-efficiency in buildings. In this context, this paper deals with the topic of Smart Home Environments (SHEs), where users can exploit multimedia services to interact with heterogeneous and interconnected smart appliances in order to save energy, reduce costs and improve users' comfort and safety. In particular, we propose an interoperable architectural framework and a related knowledge-based management model, associated with a specific forecasting model, for monitoring and managing energy consumption in SHEs.