ElecPlus: A Universal Smart Hub for Mitigating the Environmental Impacts of Electrical Appliances

The inclining global temperature and the growing demand for electricity is a vicious cycle. The use of electrical appliances is one of the major contributors to global warming as the more power is consumed, the more fuel is burnt for energy generation, hence increasing the intensity of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere. Environmental bodies around the globe have been giving a lot of focus to energy conservation and GHG reduction. Current energy saving approaches such as the production of energy efficient appliances do have positive results, but the adoption rate is yet to reach a satisfactory level. Some barriers of adoption include high initial cost and low awareness on the long-term benefits. Therefore, this research aims to motivate efforts of domestic consumers in energy conservation and develop an effective solution that encourages electricity saving with the use of smart home technologies, thereby reducing the impacts of electrical appliances towards the environment.