SeeGreen : a tool for real-time distributed monitoring of home electricity consumption

Abstract

This thesis presents SeeGreen, a system designed to enable easy collection of distributed information about power usage (quantity and quality) in residential facilities. In Europe many appliances are emerging that incorporate power measuring devices for power regulation. However, products for retrofitting old appliances or recording measurements from other power consuming devices are not available. Due to aging of appliances, varying consumer habits and appliance standby modes, estimating the power consumption behavior of a device is remarkably difficult. Products in "off' (or standby) modes consume an estimated ten percent of the electrical energy used in a house. With built in AC switches, SeeGreen has the capacity to minimize or even eliminate this unnecessary waste. Perhaps the largest downfall of modem monitoring systems is a lack of real-time (immediate) feedback about an appliance's consumption. Feedback of this nature highly encourages change in consumer behavior. SeeGreen facilitates reduced electricity consumption by providing information to consumers and automatic control devices.