Application of wireless sensor network to direct load control in residential areas

This paper describes the application of wireless sensor network to monitor and control electrical loads in residential areas, mainly heating and cooling loads, which accounts for around 50% of the residential electricity consumption. In this way, a control algorithm has also been implemented in order to select the optimum load control strategy according to a target demand profile and a set of prefixed constraints, allowing the customers to modify their power demand with minimum comfort levels. Therefore, this application offers the residential customers a flexible, powerful and low-cost tool to manage their electrical loads, avoiding any additional wiring and extending the Wireless Sensor Network technology to small customers, with around 30% share of the global electricity consumption. This system has been implemented in a university environment, and the results are also included in this paper.