A Prototype of Wireless Sensor for Data Acquisition in Energy Management Systems

A prototype of a wireless sensor for monitoring electrical loads in a smart building is designed and implemented. The sensor can acquire the main electrical parameters of the connected load and, optionally, other physical quantities (e.g., room temperature). Unlike other wireless sensors in literature, the proposed sensor is cheap and small, exploits the Wi-Fi network that is commonly available inside buildings, and uses a lightweight message-based communication paradigm. Besides the sensor node, two management nodes are also implemented to manage sensor reconfiguration and the persistence of data. The measured data are stored in an SQLite database and can be used for various purposes, e.g., for the implementation of an Energy Management System (EMS) for optimal use of electricity within the building. Hardware and software components of the proposed sensor are thoroughly described, and their correct operation is verified experimentally.