Home Automation

This project is part of ETHOS - a project under the EU-Esprit programme.
Several Danish manufacturers and utilities are involved, and the Danish part of the project is managed by DEFU.
The aim of the project is to provide an inter-connection of available electronic devices in private homes using the open EHS (European Home Systems) standard and protocols for in-home communication and to establish two way communication links between customers and utilities for value added services and energy management.
In Denmark a range of applications are evaluated such as multi-utility meter reading (electricity, district heating, natural gas heating and water), load and comfort control, control/alarms in gas installations and display of consumption information and DSM advice via a PC interface.
In 1996 a lab set-up has been established to demonstrate the basic functions of the system.
ELTEK has contributed through 2 master's projects, in which specific EHS- applications were programmed.
In spring 1997 a test house was fully equipped with EHS-units for metering electricity, heat and water and for light control. A few months later similar systems were installed in 5 more dwellings. Two master's projects - with 4 students participating - have been completed in 1997.
In 1998 further installations have been made in around 100 houses. A conclusion of the experiment has not yet been drawn due to problems with a new EHS-unit, which communicates data via a PSTN-line. An alternative way of communicating has been demonstrated in a master's project where the Internet is used as communication media. Other student projects have looked into data base techniques and an Explore like user interface has been build to visualise units on the EHS-bus.