Intelligent DC power monitoring system and sensor network based on ZigBee-equipped smart sockets

To fit the development trend of future DC micro-grids, an intelligent DC power monitoring system and sensor network is proposed in this paper for smart homes. The system is mainly composed of DC smart socket, sensors, home gateway, cloud sever and remote monitor device. According to Internet of things (IoT), all devices are connected through wireless protocols, such as Zigbee, WiFi and 3G/4G mobile communications, to maximize the flexibility and ease the installation for users. All power consumption, real-time video streaming and environment sensing can be accessed remotely via smart phones, pads or computers to ensure the most security and comfortability for user homes. Alarms will be issued for any irregular condition sensed. The detail report and statistics for home appliances are also provided to help users reschedule the appliance usage to lower the electricity bills. The proposed system is realized with free open source software to minimize the overall cost.