CSIRO’s Data Clearing House (DCH) is a cloud-based digital platform for housing, managing and extracting valuable insights from smart building data.
Allowing data ingestion from a variety of sources, the DCH stores this data in an open format allowing for interoperability and data discovery. Data sovereignty is at the heart of DCH, allowing complete control over who can see and use your data on the platform. The DCH platform was created to break down barriers in the industry in the smart buildings space. Some of the benefits of the DCH include:
You own your data
Control access
Connect once
Access services
The DCH platform connects buildings with software service providers. This enables industry innovation through application and software service developers, enabling them to create cutting edge solutions for building owners, facility managers.
The i-Hub Data Clearing House is a real-time cloud-based data platform for management and reuse of data across multiple services that enables more efficient building operations and enhanced occupant comfort in new and existing buildings.
The Data Clearing House or DCH has been developed to benefit both building owners and service providers.
The platform enables building owners to:
– Collate data from disparate sources in one location
– Retain ownership of data irrespective of service providers
– Reduce data transfer and management costs and provide portfolio level insights
It enables service providers to:
– Access building data without data collection responsibilities
– Access large number of building owners on the platform
– Deliver services/applications for multiple buildings without labour intensive building specific customisation
To achieve this the DCH uses standardized contextual data structure called a building data model that enhances the discoverability of data by capturing the location and relationships of sensors, equipment and control systems.
In addition the DCH has a secure near real-time data ingestion and federation capability from existing building systems, low-cost easily deployable internet of things sensors and third-party cloud data sources such as weather forecasts.
The DCH applications utilise the sensor and building model information to provide richer data analytics, more accurate fault detection, enhanced occupancy comfort controls and other innovative solutions.
The DCH platform integrates private data sources securely providing tools for building owners and their delegates to manage data access for applications.
The DCH supports interoperability and open data standards whilst maintaining high standards of data security and privacy.
Under the leadership of the Australian Institute of Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heating and the CSIRO Data Clearing House platform is an open and secure system run by the industry for the industry and will provide a new accessible arena for innovation and competition.
DCH is an operational platform that is already being used in Australian buildings. DCH is onboarding buildings from March 2020 onwards. Various service providers have deployed their solutions to deliver energy and cost savings to their customers via the platform.
What sort of services are available to partners via DCH?
Plug and play Measurement and Verification (M&V) services
DCH provides access to world class independent M&V functionality. M&V analysis uses measurements to determine actual savings of energy, cost and/or greenhouse gases at a site, typically due to some intervention or change to the site equipment and/or operation. The International Building Measurement and Verification Protocol (IBMVP) option C based methodology is available for DCH users.
Example use cases can include;
- verification of equipment upgrades or control system changes,
- month-to-month comparison of site energy use, and
- long term site energy use trend analysis.
Real time emission data from electricity usage
DCH provides access to hour by hour emissions based on changing carbon intensity across each day and forecast of real time emissions due to electricity usage based on generation sources. This data can be used to match the timing of energy consumption with renewable generation availability leading to better utilisation of onsite renewables and storage. This is needed to go on the journey from average net zero emissions to true zero emissions.
Load forecasting algorithms
DCH users can benefit from machine learning based load forecasting algorithms available in the platform. Historic consumption data and ambient temperature data are used to make these predictions.
ASHRAE 55 comfort band metrics
ASHRAE 55 standard specifies analytical methods to determine thermal environmental conditions in buildings and other spaces that a significant proportion of the occupants will find acceptable. The ASHRAE comfort models provide a more dynamic approach to determining comfortable operating conditions in real-time. DCH users can visualise comfort metrics for using their building data.
Some example of benefits provided to building owners via DCH
