Analyzing My Security System Data

I have our security system hooked up to a computer and log every event (window opened, door closed, motion sensor tripped). This lends itself well to some interesting end of year data analysis.

There's one motion sensor downstairs in the connected living room / dining room / kitchen that gives us a good idea of whether or not anything's going on at the house.

We're mostly doing stuff downstairs Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The weekends aren't surprising since all of us work but Monday is a little interesting. Why is it different than any other week day?

We run pretty late hours. If you want some quiet time to yourself downstairs, your best bet is "early" in the morning from 6am to 8am.

In the beginning of 2008 we switched one of the five house mates. Since the person that left ran pretty late hours, it seems like the curve shifted backwards a bit.

The security sensors are also on the doors and windows. Interestingly there are significant spikes in external door usage at 12pm and 10pm. Maybe this is the preferred time for people to leave and return.

We open windows more often than close them during the day. We tend to close windows all at once at night time.

PG&E tracks our electrical and gas consumption on an hourly basis using a SmartMeter. Our downstairs activity seems to correlate with the fluctuations in our energy consumption. This is possibly because of the lights, kitchen equipment and TV downstairs.

We don't use our air conditioner (super expensive in a 3600 sqf house). Instead we open the windows when it gets hot outside. The average temperature data is from the National Weather Service.

But we do use the heater and the gas fireplace when the temperature drops.

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