Crossover opportunities between the fields of Structural Control and Energy Efficiency

This paper invites the analysis of how expertise within the structural control community can be directed to answer the challenges associated with meeting energy efficiency targets. Such a investigation is part of the megatrend and rebalancing of the engineering community to include the “Green” and “Low Carbon” economies. In doing so, structural health monitoring becomes energy fault detection and diagnosis. Smart materials become those whose multifunctionality addresses also energy efficiency through material properties or informatic capabilities. Signal processing, decision making, and optimisation techniques are directly applicable and are particularly important to energy sourcing decisions, energy optimisation scenarios, and advanced control strategies. Planned correctly, sensor networks for structural control and structural health monitoring can be made synergistic with building energy management and security systems. The investigation will highlight results and lessons learned from ongoing research projects that target energy and emission reduction.