Design and implementation of home power management tool

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dc.contributor.authorHlabeli, Semela
dc.contributor.co-supervisorDjeumen, J. S.
dc.contributor.supervisorLanga, H. M., Dr.
dc.date.accessioned2025-10-14T12:12:03Z
dc.date.available2025-10-14T12:12:03Z
dc.date.issued2024-10
dc.descriptionM. Eng. (Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology), Vaal University of Technology.
dc.description.abstractIn recent years, the world has seen a drastic rise in energy demand, particularly electricity as most modern devices and equipment are powered by electricity driven by advancement in technology, digitization and the internet of things (IoT). This has led to energy crisis and higher utility bills for consumers as the demand is growing at faster rate that outstrips the supply. Thus, enhancing energy usage efficiency is now more critical and urgent than ever before since it is only economically and environmentally feasible to minimize consumption rates rather than increasing the supply in order to tackle the current demand-supply deficit. Hence, this dissertation presents the design and implementation of home power management tool (HPMT) which aims to optimize and enhance energy usage efficiency in the residential sector through real-time monitoring and control of appliances by incorporating both smart and non-smart objects. This is because proper energy monitoring is vital to identifying areas and processes which are bringing energy usage inefficiencies in the power system since what can be measured and monitored can also be controlled. The proposed system was simulated in Proteus Professional software with devices being controlled though the mobile app and the developed integer programming (IP) model was then modelled in MATLAB to optimize energy consumption patterns in real-time. This IP model considers the available electricity balance as one of the constraints as well as the on/off status of individual appliances to predict how long the remaining energy units can last as per running appliances at any given time. This system utilizes the integration of both software and hardware development to minimize usage rates. It consists of a current sensor connected to the home appliances to continuously measure the current drawn which then sends it to the Arduino for processing which further transmits this data to the ESP32 via serial communication. The ESP32 is the backbone of this system as it is the central hub for communication and processing of signals and data. The ESP32 then forwards received data from Arduino to the Firebase via Wi-Fi. Firebase acts as a bridge that facilitates bidirectional communication between the app and the ESP32. This data is then retrieved by the Android app which provides an interface to access and display latest energy consumption data since the app is synchronized in real-time with the Firebase. The app further allows the user to send control commands via Firebase to be executed by the ESP32 which then actuates the relay thereby being able to remotely turn on and off the connected appliances. The proposed system was successfully developed and implemented in a real-world setting. The results indicate that this system has the potential to enable consumers to remotely monitor and control their energy consumption in real-time thus offering greater flexibility as consumers can track and manage their appliances from anywhere as long as they have internet connection. This real-time energy monitoring capability will allow consumers to make informed decisions about managing their energy consumption and prioritizing device actuation thus contributing towards improved energy usage efficiency, savings in utility bills and a drive towards sustainability.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10352/816
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherVaal University of Technology
dc.subjectHome power management tool (HPMT)
dc.subjectElectricity
dc.subjectEnergy usage efficiency
dc.subjectSmart meter
dc.subjectPower management
dc.subjectEnergy management
dc.subject.lcshDissertation, Academic -- South Africa.
dc.subject.lcshElectric power systems -- Management.
dc.subject.lcshEnergy conservation.
dc.titleDesign and implementation of home power management tool
dc.typeThesis
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