Smartline Environmental Sensor Data and Utility Usage, 2017–2023

Woods, Richard David and Menneer, Tamaryn and Wellaway, Ian and Broughton, Belinda and Williams, Andrew J and Sharpe, Richard A and Townley, Stuart and England, Mark and Taylor, Tim and Morrissey, Karyn and Bland, Emma and Mueller, Markus (2023). Smartline Environmental Sensor Data and Utility Usage, 2017–2023. [Data Collection]. Colchester, Essex: UK Data Service. 10.5255/UKDA-SN-856596

More than 300 households were recruited in 2017 to take part in the Smartline project to provide data on health, wellbeing, community, indoor environment and utility usages. The overarching aim of the project was to explore and trial opportunities for technology to support people to live healthier and happier lives in their homes and communities. 329 households completed survey questionnaires and 279 opted to have sensors installed. The network of sensors, from which the accompanying data derive, provide opportunities to gain insight in to existing utility usage and environmental conditions in homes. Surveys of participating households were undertaken at several points in the project and linked to sensor data, enabling better exploration of the everyday human lives behind the sensor data. Many of the sensors have recorded data spanning more than 5 years, capturing regular patterns resulting from participants daily routines, seasonal climatic variation, and local weather activity. Unexpected events such as the Covid-19 pandemic, cost of living crisis, and a record summer heatwave all fall within the timeframe of the sensor data.

Data description (abstract)

The Smartline sensor datasets include utility usage (Gas, Water, Electricity), indoors environmental parameters (Temperature, Humidity, TVOC - Total Volatile Organic Compounds, eCO2 - Estimated Carbon Dioxide, P.M2.5 - Airborne Particulate Matter <2.5µm diameter) recorded in 279 properties, and external air quality (same parameters as indoors, plus P.M10 - Airborne Particulate Matter <10µm diameter). Data were recorded at ~5-minute intervals, with the first sensors commencing in 2017, and the last sensors recording until the end of March 2023. Data are split in to separate folders for each type of sensor, and divided into the individual datasets provided, each representing a unique combination of sensor identity and property reference. A metadata file gives additional information about the project participants and their homes where data was recorded. A missingness matrix file describes temporal coverage, both for each sensor type and for each individual sensor data file. A technical report describes the project, datasets, sensors, and attached files in detail.

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