IntelliPlugs: IoT-based Smart Plug for Energy Monitoring and Control Through WiFi and GSM

To enable smart grid, there is a need to adopt ICT-based technologies to allow seamless flow of information between the many different components of the grid. In connection to this, the adoption of smart plugs in the distribution side of the power system is starting to gain popularity. Smart plugs are electrical devices that allows an ordinary appliance to be connected to the internet. It also allows people to monitor their energy usage and in turn, affect the way they utilize energy. In recent literature, there are proposed low-cost smart plugs that are composed of simple sensors to derive electrical parameters like voltage, current, power and frequency. However, these smart plugs are not equipped with attractive and easy to use graphical user interface (GUI) for their software. Moreover, some of the designs of the smart plugs only relies to WiFi for monitoring and control. In order to address some of these concerns, this paper proposed a smart plug named IntelliPlugs that adopts the current state of art technology to control and monitor electric devices through WiFi and GSM. Based on the results, IntelliPlugs achieved the objectives of being an innovative and safe smart plug contributing to the fast transition of power systems into a smart grid.