Explore eUMaP secondments II (2024): insights & experiences from our project partners
August 27, 2024Following the success and invaluable learnings from our 2023 secondments, we are delighted to continue sharing the insights, highlights, and experiences from our project partners in the eUMaP project for 2024. Secondments remain a cornerstone of our project’s development: they help to break down barriers, facilitate the direct application of new ideas, and bring together different viewpoints – leading to more creativity and better results for the whole project.
As we move forward, the stories and achievements from our team members’ 2024 secondments will further illustrate how these opportunities are driving innovation and fortifying our collective efforts towards realizing our project goals.
Development of information management methodologies using dummy data in Thessaloniki University Campus [NITEL (UNIVAQ) – GSH]
Sara Zollini (1 month in total during Sept 2023 and Jan – Feb 2024), María Alicandro & Nicole Pascucci (Jan – Feb 2024), Donatella Dominici (Feb 2024) >> Athens, Greece
Introduction
These secondments and related study focused on the application of information management methodologies to a university campus located in Thessaloniki, Greece, with the potential to be replicated on various territorial scales, from neighbourhoods to large cities. The activities related to this secondment fit in the WP5 of the eUMaP project: ‘Integration of Digital Technology Monitoring and Management (BIM)’.
Objectives and main goals of the secondment
The primary objective is to integrate diverse data sources to construct a detailed and dynamic parametric model of the campus. This computerized model, similar to BIM (Building Information Modelling) and CIM (City Information Modelling), enables the association and management of heterogeneous information, enhancing the monitoring and management capabilities of campus services and facilities.
Key activities and tasks undertaken during the secondment
The secondment started with data collection, which consisted in CAD-format building plans and elevations of the campus, along with various Excel databases documenting energy, Wi-Fi, and water consumption. These data provide a solid foundation for a detailed understanding of existing structures and their uses. After a series of meetings with the other partners of the project, the following plan has been delineated. One step involves creating a three-dimensional model of the campus using the CAD file already obtained and other data, if needed, by performing a survey directly in the campus. This extended urban planning model integrates diverse information—from physical infrastructure to resource consumption flows—into a single interactive platform, serving as a tool for data visualization, analysis, and management within the campus. Due to the lack of additional useful data (such as energy consumed within individual buildings), dummy data will be used to simulate real conditions. These data will replicate consumption patterns and relevant variables to allow area analysis. Simulations will include different scenarios to evaluate the effectiveness of resource management strategies and consumption optimization.
Achievements and outcomes
The resulting model will provide a detailed and dynamic overview of the university campus. This approach will identify inefficient consumption patterns, suggest targeted interventions to improve energy efficiency and resource management, and allow testing of the model’s reliability using dummy data, optimizing data collection and analysis procedures for future applications.
In conclusion, the proposed methodology not only enhances the monitoring and resource management capabilities of the campus but also offers a scalable and replicable framework for other urban applications.
Personal and professional growth
Participating in projects in different cultural contexts gave all of them the opportunity to enhance skills and project management capabilities. Indeed, the ability to understand and work across cultures is highly valued, also increasing the effectiveness in international roles. Being involved in the eUMaP project helped the researchers to be more aware not only of the technical requirements of the project but also of the personal motivation and curiosity in accepting new challenges. Therefore, they enhanced their competences both on technical and soft skills, such as communication and teamworking. Projects like eUMaP could provide opportunities to work with mentors who can offer guidance, feedback, and support.
Future collaborations
The Geomatics group of L’Aquila would continue offering his contribution in eUMaP by performing other secondments before the end of this project. Activities related to dissemination are being considered also in the framework of other WPs. They would actively participate in any meeting, workshop and similar activities to increase the collaboration with all the partners and with the hosting place during the secondments.
Conclusion
As a conclusion, the Geomatics Laboratory of University of L’Aquila, partner of NITEL, is highly grateful to be part of the development of the eUMaP platform, because identifying potential risks and developing strategies to mitigate them is a crucial aspect of preserving the environment in which all of us live.
KTU Researchers on their secondment at GSH revealed the changes in daily power consumption patterns during crisis conditions (KTU-GSH)
Lina Morkūnaitė & Paulius Vestfal (April – May 2024) >> Athens, Greece
Introduction
In April 2024, two Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) researchers and PhD students, Paulius Vestfal and Lina Morkūnaitė visited eUMaP consortium partners at Geosystems Hellas (GSH) for a one-month secondment in Athens, Greece.
Objectives and main goals of the secondments
The main goal of the secondment was to engage with partners at GSH while conducting analysis on energy and water risk management for residential building systems in relation to work package WP6 – Utilities management under crisis conditions. The objectives of this secondment were to, firstly, investigate the state-of-the-art research on the topic, aiming to reveal the most important contributions and identify best methods for practical analyses. Secondly, to analyse available time-series data for residential apartment buildings at Kaunas (Lithuania) pilot and identify daily consumption patterns during the normal and crisis conditions. Thirdly, to compare the extracted patterns and clustered consumption hours in a day, to reveal the impact of COVID19 on energy consumption for domestic hot-water preparation.
Key activities and tasks undertaken during the secondment
To achieve the main aim and objectives, Lina and Paulius were working closely with partners at GSH and work package leaders from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh) engaging in fruitful discussions and sharing personal experiences. AUTh members were supporting KTU researchers from the theoretical side, providing the basis for the state-of-the-art review and supporting while choosing the best methods.
For the time-series analyses, commonly used data science tools were chosen as Phyton programming language and related packages. Firstly, data exploratory analysis was conducted revealing the initial consumption patterns, potential outliers and inconsistencies. Secondly, data cleaning process was initiated that also included data normalization by the buildings useful area, allowing fair comparison between the power consumption for domestic hot-water preparation among the buildings. Finally, the dataset was reshaped, and mean values calculated to extract the daily consumption patterns for separate months, separate buildings including COVID and non-COVID periods.
To reveal the clusters of separate hours in a day, the data available for the 10 analysed buildings were consolidated into one dataset extracting the mean and standard deviation values. Further, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to reduce data dimensionality and extract main principal components (PC) that were used for clustering using well known k-means algorithm enhanced by the “elbow” method.
Achievements and outcomes
The secondment resulted in two comprehensive reports presenting the recent developments in energy and water management, and analysis on the change in power consumption for domestic hot-water preparation during crisis conditions. Both reports are included in the WP6 deliverable D6.1 Risk management methodology.
The state-of-the-art analysis revealed the correlation between water usage and energy conservation, highlighting the critical challenges posed by climate change, population growth, urbanization, and agricultural expansion. It examined the effectiveness of behavioural modifications in water conservation and the resultant energy savings, emphasizing the importance of personalized usage data. The review compared the economic and environmental impacts of various water management strategies, such as wastewater recycling versus seawater desalination (Figure 1) and underscored the significant energy reductions achieved through localized energy management practices.
Additionally, the review addressed the shifts in water consumption patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic (Figure 2), revealing increased household water use and altered peak demand times.
This analysis underscored the necessity of sustainable practices and collaborative efforts in addressing the global water crisis and optimizing resource use efficiency.
The time-series analysis on the power consumption for domestic hot-water preparation showed clear change in daily consumption patterns for all 10 investigated buildings of Kaunas pilot while comparing year 2019 (normal conditions) and year 2020 (lockdown). The morning peak is clearly shifted to the later hours in a day, and during the day where in 2019 was very low consumption, now in 2020 we can see some consumption peaks uprising (Figure 3). The analysis also shows that the evening peaks also moved to later hours in a day, indicating that residents might have chosen to go to sleep later and wake-up later during the COVID lockdown period. Same change was also revealed during the clustering analysis, that showed discrepancies in high/low consumption hour clusters between the normal and crisis conditions.
Personal and professional growth
However, during the secondment not only the scientific developments were achieved, but also KTU researchers had a chance to learn from consortium partners and exchange valuable experience working on different projects. Geosystems Hellas are experts on GIS systems, playing a key role in the ongoing development of the eUMaP platform development. During the meetings KTU researchers investigated the advancements implemented for the eUMaP platform and discussed technical implementation process.
Future collaborations
In the future, GSH partners are planning to visit KTU as well. The partners were interested in the currently ongoing projects at KTU and see an exciting opportunity for seeing them at first-hand. The work implemented by KTU researchers in Athens could also be extended during this visit while further developing analytical tools for eUMaP platform within the WP7 – eUMaP platform development and application.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the secondment was a great experience for KTU researchers to engage with project partners and gain valuable experience.
ALMA’s successful secondments at KTU and Frederick University (ALMA-KTU-FU)
Eleni Apostolidou (April 2024, Feb 2024) >> Kaunas, Lithuania - Nicosia, Cyprus
Introduction
In an exciting series of collaborative efforts, Eleni Apostolidou from ALMA participated in secondments at Kaunas Technological University (KTU) in Lithuania and Frederick University (FU) in Cyprus. These secondments, conducted in April 2024 and February 2024 respectively, were integral parts of the eUMaP project. They aimed at evaluating and enhancing the eUMaP Platform, a comprehensive utility management solution. Both secondments resulted in significant advancements in the platform’s capabilities and fostered productive international collaborations.
Highlights from the secondment at KTU
Objectives and main goals of the secondments
The KTU secondment aimed to conduct a comparative evaluation of the eUMaP Platform against existing utility management platforms. The goal was to enhance eUMaP’s performance in managing energy, waste, water, and telecommunication sectors.
Key activities and tasks undertaken during the secondment
During the secondment, Eleni developed an overview of existing utility management platforms and conducted a detailed comparative analysis of eUMaP and other market platforms. Through workshops and discussions with KTU experts, she identified potential improvements for eUMaP. Additionally, she analysed practical application scenarios to assess the platform’s effectiveness. The findings and recommendations were compiled into a comprehensive report.
Achievements and outcomes
Eleni’s efforts led to identifying the strengths and areas for improvement in eUMaP, providing valuable insights for enhancing utility risk management technology. Her contributions significantly enhanced eUMaP’s capabilities across multiple sectors and contributed to practical applications and decision-making guidance.
Highlights from the secondment at FU
Objectives and main goals of the secondments
The FU secondment focused on the architecture of the eUMaP Platform, particularly the design, functional, and technical specifications of the backend processes. It aimed to present the system’s logic and behaviour, interdependencies, and limitations.
Key activities and tasks undertaken during the secondment
Eleni played a pivotal role in developing the architectural design and technical specifications for eUMaP. She conducted a thorough analysis of the system architecture, focusing on interdependencies and limitations to ensure robust and efficient performance. Eleni also designed a conceptual architecture specifically tailored for managing utilities during crisis conditions. Furthermore, she integrated GIS literacy, smart meters, and performance-related data into the platform’s digital twins, enhancing its functionality and accuracy. To gather valuable insights, she conducted workshops with FU experts, facilitating a collaborative approach to the project’s development.
Achievements and outcomes
Eleni successfully developed a comprehensive architectural design for eUMaP. She produced a detailed report on the system architecture and its interdependencies, providing a clear understanding of the platform’s framework. Her work included designing a conceptual architecture for crisis management, which integrates geolocation data and accounts for differences in crisis versus normal conditions. This integration significantly enhances eUMaP’s reliability as an information tool for local authorities and the public. Additionally, Eleni’s efforts have laid the foundation for eUMaP to serve as a policy-feeding mechanism, influencing future utility management strategies.
Personal and professional growth
Through her engagement with experts, Eleni gained new perspectives and enhanced her technical skills in comparative analysis, utility management and system architecture. Her involvement in these secondments also allowed her to build valuable professional relationships with KTU and FU researchers, fostering a network of collaboration and future learning.
Future collaborations
Looking ahead, there are plans for future joint research projects on advanced utility management, and continued exchange of researchers and students, promoting ongoing knowledge transfer and innovation. Additionally, there is potential for co-hosting international conferences and workshops, further solidifying the collaborative efforts and advancing the field of utility management.
Conclusions
The secondments at Kaunas Technological University and Frederick University were resounding successes, achieving all set objectives and fostering productive collaborations. These experiences enriched ALMA’s technical expertise, provided new insights into utility management research, and laid the groundwork for future collaborative efforts. ALMA looks forward to continuing these partnerships, contributing to significant advancements in utility management technologies.
To sum up, the secondments within the eUMaP project have showcased the invaluable contributions and achievements of our partners, emphasizing the critical role of international collaboration and knowledge exchange in addressing global challenges. As we move forward, the insights gained from these secondments will continue to inform and enhance our collective efforts, driving the eUMaP project towards a more sustainable and resilient future.
The eUMaP project
The eUMaP project aims to address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic on critical infrastructure such as energy, water, waste, and telecommunication systems. It proposes the development of an open platform that enables local authorities to effectively manage and plan the demand and supply of building utilities during quarantine or lockdown situations, ensuring resilience and continuity. The platform is based on earth observation data and integrated with open BIM platforms in five European cities.
