UCSD Decision Making using Real-time Observations for Environmental Sustainability (DEMROES)



Real-time data :
Locations: RIMAC, Hubbs Hall, Moores Cancer Center, CMRR, Tioga Hall, Powell Structures Lab, EBU2, Biomedical Science Building. Time: last 2 days.
Temperature and Humidity Wind Solar Radiation, Rain Textual
Current Readings
RIMAC
Hubbs
CMRR
Moores CC
Powell SL
EBU2
Biomedical SB
Tioga

Google Earth movie of temperature , relative humidity , and solar power maps over the last 24 hours (courtesy of Nick Daish). Save these files to your computer as *.kml, install google earth, and run it.

DEMROES in the News

UCSD Video (130MB)

ESI Newsletter

San Diego Union Tribune

Breakthroughs in Science

Environmental Protection Online

Meteorological conditions have important implications on human activities. They affect human comfort and productivity (temperature, humidity), health (temperature, air pollution), and contribute to material wear and tear (wind, rain, salt). UCSD's proximity to the Pacific Ocean places it in a temperate microclimate frequently affected by sea breezes which has unique advantages and disadvantages for campus energy use, management, and air quality. In particular the occurrence of sea-breezes in daytime provides cool air eliminating need for widespread building air conditioning and associated energy use, but also advects moist and salt-laden air to campus which negatively affects the lifespan of indoor and outdoor electronic or metal components.

Despite UCSD's established reputation as a center for innovation and world-class research, and environmental sustainability being one of the thrust areas of the Jacobs SOE, we lack scientific knowledge about the occurrence of these microclimatological conditions and their effect on campus facilities management. We have established a student-run wireless sensing network for environment monitoring at UCSD facilities city-wide with the following objectives:

  • Use the network as a demo and integrative educational and research system for UCSD students and faculty. The sensor readings should be integrated with the Google Maps application www.ucsd.edu/maps
  • Quantify the spatial distribution of meteorological conditions (i.e. sea breeze effect on temperature and humidity) on campus through a dense static network of weather stations.
  • Integrate advanced mobile sensing nodes with seismic, infrared, and chemical sensing capability at selected locations.
  • Provide campus facilities management with information to feed the energy management system (EMS) for building operation and energy conservation, and irrigation management.
  • Extend pilot project into a massive city or regional scale sensing network.

sponsored by
Wells Fargo through the UCSD Environment and Sustainability Initiative

Steve Relyea
Vice Chancellor, Business Affairs

Paul Linden, Jan Kleissl
Faculty, Mechanical Engineering

Johnson Controls
supported by Don McLaughlin, Ryan Sullivan
Telecommunications

John Dilliott, David Weil
Building Sustainability, Energy Services

Doug Palmer, Bill Hodgkiss, Don Kimball. CalIT2
Steve Roberts
MAE Electronics & Sensors