EEOnt: An ontological model for a unified representation of energy efficiency in buildings

Energy efficiency in buildings is essential for economic, social, and environmental reasons. Under current European legislation, buildings have to be certified with an energy efficiency index. To provide a fair comparison of the energy performance in buildings we need a global and unified representation. In this paper we propose the Energy Efficiency Ontology (EEOnt) to provide a foundation upon which this requirement can be built.EEOnt extends the applicability of other ontological models of buildings incorporating energy efficiency data and knowledge that can be calculated with high spatial and temporal resolution in what we call an Energy Efficiency Landscape (EELB). These EELB's provide significant information which allows a detailed diagnosis of the energy efficiency within the building.Consequently, EEOnt is capable of representing buildings and energy efficiency in a unified way. Furthermore, it supplies a tool for managing the energy efficiency in buildings and constructing national inventories. These two features link the global and particular needs of governments and users, thus becoming key to both improve the energy efficiency in buildings and to implement viable certification schemes.

► This article proposes an ontology for energy efficiency in buildings.
► It provides an interface between users and machine processing of data.
► It provides a foundation for international exchange of information.
► It provides a foundation for diagnostic analysis of energy efficiency in buildings.
► It is the glue connecting a more comprehensive software framework.