Real-Time Data Analytics for Monitoring Electricity Consumption Using IoT Technology

Abstract

Rising electricity bills as a result of climate variability and new home electrical and electronic appliances are becoming a major source of concern for most end users. Consumers are typically unaware of their household electricity consumption patterns and the costs associated with them, making proper planning and budgeting difficult. Monitoring and controlling energy consumption on appliances can reduce energy costs for end-users. The Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to provide remote monitoring and control of devices via automated monitoring and control. In this study, we propose an IoT-enabled system for monitoring and controlling energy consumption in homes to save money and make electricity more affordable to low-income people. Autonomous sensor nodes attached to power outlets collect and route power consumption data to the GSM-enabled gateway. Data aggregation is performed by the gateway for data received from all end-nodes within its coverage area. The gateway sends the data to the cloud, where real-time data analytics is performed. We also developed an algorithm that enables users to not only understand their usage patterns but also remotely control their appliances at any time. Mobile phones are used to remotely turn on and off household appliances via a machine-to-machine interface, as well as to provide real-time visualization of household energy consumption patterns.

Keywords: Internet of Things, cloud platform, energy consumption, electricity bills, real-time analytics