Design and implementation of a non-proprietary campus energy management and control system (EMCS)

Abstract

The energy management and control system (EMCS) used at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) is unique in that system hardware and software has been developed primarily in-house. UNL has a successful track record with this approach stretching back more than twenty years. This paper presents an industry experience report describing the high-level design and development of the latest version of this EMCS. This system is now being deployed on campus. We discuss aspects of our EMCS that enhance usability, fault tolerance, and security. Our system is unique in that it was primarily developed using non-proprietary, open-source software building blocks and software construction tools. This approach provides a framework for potential collaboration with others who are interested in expanding this system beyond UNL