Intelligent Energy Management Device for Energy Conservation in Air conditioners

The paper reports on the design, construction, and pilot implementation of an intelligent controller for Airconditioners (ACs), to conserve energy. The intelligent controller is named Airro. Airro employs a pyroelectric infrared (PIR) sensor and a microcontroller to detect occupancy and determine whether the controlled AC should be turned off or on. A mobile application has also been developed to enable remote monitoring of the state of the AC and to control its operation. The device has been successfully piloted. Efforts are underway to roll it out at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).