General Overview and Proof of Concept of a Smart Home Energy Management System Architecture

Abstract

This paper proposes and implements a smart architecture for Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) that enables interoperability among devices from different manufacturers. This is achieved through the use of standardized elements and the design of an innovative middleware. The system comprises a control unit that communicates with smart outlets using the Wireless Smart Ubiquitous Network (WI-SUN) Home Area Network (HAN) specification, while smart metering is achieved using the WI-SUN Field Area Network (FAN) specification. To manage important data, a web platform and mobile app were created. Additionally, machine learning techniques are utilized to identify energy consumption of individual appliances when only the aggregate energy consumption of the house is available. The architecture presented here supports real-time control of energy use and generation through HEMS, and new devices can be added transparently. Finally, a comparison of the proposed system with similar systems in literature highlights its many advantages in terms of functionality.