INVESTIGATION INTO THE USE OF MODERN ELECTRONICS FOR THE REDUCTION OF RESIDENTIAL ELECTRICITY USAGE
Introduction
AIM: to utilise existing and upcoming electronic technologies to reduce energy consumption.
Method: To reduce energy consumption, effective demand side management systems are to be implemented to reduce peaks where efficiencies are at their worst.
Proposed Design: Demand side management would be controlled by intelligent microcontrollers. These controllers receive inputs from their associated environment (for example climate control) and through these create a feedback mechanism. Each node will record large amounts in information which it will transmit to a central Processing Node (CPN). The CPN will analyse this information and update each nodes individual software to maximise efficiency including day to day, month to month and season to season node environment changes. Nodes will also be able to calculate efficiencies and switch loads to test differing combinations to decrease usage. Each node uses feed back that allows the controllers software to learn. Ie dates time etc would be recorded each combination and usage calculated. This information will be used to predict and control demand, and generation fluctuations. Each node can be accessed and controlled remotely. The node will be programmed to learn changes and peaks in load, and adjust timing and switching of it's outputs. For example if a regular weekday peak was lets say found to exist around 7pm, then the climate control system could be switched on before the peak and then switched off during the peak. Another example would be off peak heating (OPH) and sewage pumping would be done in a similar fashion as well as refrigeration.
So as not to reduce living standards some systems will include manual user controls.
This combined with power usage monitoring electronics will help residents keep track of their usage and costs. This system could tell the user what is using the...