Smart Sensor Detects Which Devices At Home Are Wasting Power
A gadget able to tell the exact amount of electricity that is being consumed by everyday household appliances, lighting, and other devices is very useful for saving up on the electric bills. It also is great for curiosity's sake. The said device is now available in a shape of a portable sensor that is also low-cost.
This portable electric consumption detector is made up of five stamp-sized sensors. It can be placed over the power lines in the household. The system is self-calibrating and is able to sample data in a short amount of time, pinpointing the strongest electric signals and then determine which appliance is the culprit for the high consumption.
What's awesome is, the device then channels the data to an app. The app can tell users if their refrigerator is on a defrost cycle, or when the water heater was activated.
Steven Leeb - Electrical Engineering Professor from MIT, says that there have been lots of ways to monitor energy usage in the household but this would require hiring a licensed electrician or the need to cut through power lines and attach expensive equipment on it. With this new system, users can just install sensors that are non-contact. They will be attached via zip ties or Velcro. The gathering of data is done by signal processing and in turn power consumption can be measured.
Leeb adds that the installation is fast, usage is easy, and cost is much less expensive. The device can also tell if any equipment needs maintenance or ultimately need to be replaced. The researchers estimate that when this is massively produced, their system could only cost $30 maximum per household installation. This device also has potential military applications, for one it can be used in calculating fuel and power consumptions within Navy vessels.
The device is currently being tested by the US Coast Guard to check how it will perform in a real Naval ship and environment. Provided that it will be launched next year, it would make a good holiday gift by then.
