IoT and PLC-Based Home Automation System with PV Inverter
🏆 CERD Funding — ₹40,000 INR
Typical IoT-based smart home systems require Wi-Fi coverage for the whole area. This is usually done using expensive routers. Also, studies are ongoing to confirm suspected harmful effects of Wi-Fi on human health. We eliminate the need for this broad Wi-Fi coverage for smart homes by communicating control signals over the powerline itself. The system consists of a solar inverter, a main PLC control box, and a control box at every switchboard. The control unit is provided with internet access either via LAN cable or via Wi-Fi modem. All switchboards and appliances are connected to the control unit via the existing powerline itself. We implement an online UPS system with a lead-acid battery for the PV system, and the energy usage pattern of all connected homes can be recorded and analyzed.
The main control box is connected to the internet, which enables the whole system to be controlled remotely via a website or mobile app. This also enables analytics on the usage patterns of households and energy usage prediction. We also design an online solar UPS that is able to do energy trading with the help of a blockchain-based system. Solar energy is gaining popularity, but the marketplace for distributed generation of energy is weak and energy transfer data can be tampered with. We address this by implementing a blockchain-based system built on a distributed ledger. We also use the concept of smart contracts to carry out energy billing.
The inverter market is dominated by a few individuals, and the majority of companies buy rights from these proven designers, which increases their cost. We aim to make it open source so that the engineering community can work on it and benefit from the knowledge generated by this project.
