Implementing an Intelligent Monitoring System to Enhance Energy Efficiency and Support Decarbonization in Sustainable Buildings

This paper presents the development and implementation of IoT HEAT, an intelligent, low-cost thermal monitoring system designed to enhance energy efficiency and support decarbonisation strategies in sustainable buildings. Recognizing the critical role of the built environment in global carbon reduction efforts, this study introduces a novel integration of the Temperature-Based Method (TBM) with real-time IoT-based sensing architecture to estimate the thermal transmittance (U-value) of building envelopes. Unlike conventional approaches that rely on expensive heat flux meters, this system leverages compact, affordable sensors to continuously monitor key temperature parameters interior air, surface, and exterior air across building façades with varying orientations. The originality of this work lies in its demonstration of how open-source, scalable technology can be used to perform reliable envelope diagnostics without the need for specialized equipment or complex setups. Academic contributions include validating TBM under real-world, dynamic conditions and providing a replicable framework for deploying intelligent building performance assessment systems. Results confirm the system’s potential to detect inefficiencies, inform retrofitting decisions, and significantly reduce operational energy losses. This study contributes to both academic discourse and practical applications by bridging the gap between simplified theoretical methods and cost-effective, real-time implementation for energy-efficient building design and renovation.