Course: Smart Building
Instructors: Francesca Marcello – Email: francesca.marcello@unica.it
SSD: ING-INF/03 TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Credits / hours: 2.5 credits / 20 h
Language: English
Scheduling: September 2026
Final Exam: Written
GOAL OF THE COURSE
Smart buildings are becoming increasingly popular as more people recognize the benefits they offer. They optimize energy consumption, reduce waste, and lower operational costs through advanced technologies like automation, sensors, and data analytics. By intelligently managing systems such as lighting, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), and security, smart buildings enhance energy efficiency, comfort, and occupant quality of life. They contribute to sustainability efforts, reduce carbon footprint, and align with global initiatives to combat climate change, especially considering that the building sector is responsible for approximately 40% of the global energy consumption. Moreover, smart buildings enable organizations to future-proof their infrastructure, enhance operational efficiency, and meet the growing demand for intelligent and sustainable building solutions in a rapidly evolving world.
By understanding the principles and strategies behind smart buildings, this course will guide the students through the main enabling technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and data analytics, fostering innovation in the field. Furthermore, through interactive sessions, the course will equip the students with insights into future trends like dynamic digital representations of buildings, personalized building control and emotionally intelligent buildings.
REQUIREMENTS
There is no particular background required by the students to attend the Smart Building course.
INTERSECTION WITH OTHER COURSES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CAGLIARI
There is a partial overlap with the courses Smart Housing and Smart Housing and Smart Cities offered within the Master’s Degree Programme in Internet Engineering. For students who have already completed these courses, the assigned credit will be 1 instead of 2.5.
COURSE OUTLINE
- Introduction to the course and to the main concepts related to Smart Buildings (2 hours).
- The System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) of a Building Automation System (BAS) I Part (3 hours).
- The System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) of a Building Automation System (BAS) II Part (3 hours).
- Smart Homes (3 hours).
- Smart Workplaces (3 hours).
- Other Smart Buildings (3 hours).
- How to implement a simple BAS system (3 hours).
More information will be made available as the start of the course approaches (tentatively scheduled for September 7th, 2026).