Transitioning building control and energy surveillance from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 – A thematic review

In the Web 3.0 era, the integration of advanced sensing and actuation systems into buildings signifies a transformative step towards intelligent infrastructure. This evolution is marked by an increased focus on occupancy and space usage. With the deployment of numerous sensors, sophisticated data-driven frameworks emerge, enabling precise regulation and analysis of space utilisation and energy consumption. This advancement aids in energy conservation and emission reduction but also confronts the challenges of data management, necessitating substantial investments in software and hardware to ensure data accessibility and reliability. This thematic review synthesizes findings from 676 journal articles, examining the transformation to Web 3.0 in the building sector across three main areas: sensing networks, occupant-centric control, and performance evaluation. It investigates how occupant-centric paradigms are reshaping the mechanisms of data generation, control, and process in the Web 3.0 era. The discussion expands to the potential of leveraging smart buildings and large-scale sensor networks, underpinned by blockchain and Internet of Things technology, to enhance data interchange and consolidation across varied spaces and locations. This exploration uncovers novel avenues for innovation and emphasises the technological breakthroughs in the advancement of smart building ecosystems. However, the review also identifies a critical gap: the absence of standardized frameworks for decentralised network technologies in buildings, posing a substantial challenge for their efficient implementation. Future research should focus on algorithmic models under Web 3.0 to refine occupant-related theories across different spatial contexts, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency of building control and energy surveillance in the Web 3.0 era.