More efficient home energy management system based on ZigBee communication and infrared remote controls

This paper describes more efficient home energy management system to reduce power consumption in home area. We consider the room easily controllable with an IR remote control of a home device. The room has automatic standby power cut-off outlets, a light, and a ZigBee hub. The ZigBee hub has an IR code learning function and educates the IR remote control signal of a home device connected to the power outlet. Then the power outlets and the light in the room can be controlled with an IR remote control. A typical automatic standby power cut-off outlet has a waiting time before cutting off the electric power. It consumes standby power during that time. To eliminate the waiting time, we turn off the home device and the power outlet simultaneously with an IR remote control through the ZigBee hub. This method actively reduces the standby power. The proposed HEMS provides easy way to add, delete, and move home devices to other power outlets. When a home device is moved to the different outlet, the energy information of the home device is kept consistently and seamlessly regardless of location change. The proposed architecture gives more efficient energy-saving HEMS.