Milestone 2

Milestone 2.1: Project Plan

September - October 2023: Project Initiation and Planning

• Clearly outline the features and functionalities of our (VEL) Virtual Home Energy Logger.

• Identify our key stakeholders and gather their requirements.

• Analyze any and all existing home energy monitoring systems and identify potential competitors and unique selling points for our product.

• Assemble our team with expertise in hardware, and software, comprising of an even amount of Electrical and Computer Engineers.

• Choose the appropriate technologies for the VEL's hardware and software components.

November - December 2023: Design and Prototyping

• Develop a detailed system architecture for the Virtual Home Energy Logger.

• Build a functional prototype of the monitoring system.

• Design a user-friendly app interface for real-time energy monitoring.

• Test the prototype for basic functionality and compatibility.

• Begin development of the physical monitoring devices.

January - February 2024: Development and Testing

• Implement the software components of the Home Energy Monitor.

• Integrate the hardware and software components.

• Conduct thorough testing of the entire system for functionality and reliability, addressing and fixing any bugs or issues identified during testing.

March 2024: Optimization and Refinement

• Optimize the system for performance and energy efficiency.

• Collect feedback from a select group of alpha testers for further refinement.

April 2024: Finalization and Expo Preparation

• Conduct a final round of testing to ensure the system is stable.

• Create a presentation for the senior design expo.

• Showcase the Virtual Home Energy Logger at the senior design expo.

• Gather feedback from judges and expo attendees for future improvements.

Milestone 2.2: Concepts

VEL (Virtual Home Energy Logger) envisions a solution to solve challenges associated with high utility costs and unpredictable energy spikes in households. With a strong emphasis on affordability, VEL should allow homeowners to invest in the system at a reasonable cost. To keep costs low, the maintenance requirements of VEL should be minimal. Ideally, the system will follow a "set it and forget it" model requiring not much more than annual or semi-annual inspections to ensure that everything is running smoothly. 

A key aspect of the VEL concept is making the data collected available in an understandable manner to the consumer. Homeowners should be provided with a clear and measurable indicator of their energy consumption practices. To further make this information useful to the user, tips, insights, and explanations shall be provided within the user interface (UI).  This UI will be in the form of a mobile application. To tackle the challenge of presenting information in such a manner,  Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be used within the VEL UI software. VEL aims to offer advanced data analysis capabilities. The proposed AI algorithms should examine energy usage patterns and offer personalized recommendations, empowering users to optimize energy consumption, save costs, and adopt a more sustainable lifestyle.

VEL aspires to overcome the limitations of existing home energy monitoring systems by offering an intuitive mobile app. The app should provide a detailed breakdown of energy usage by room and object, enabling homeowners to easily identify and mitigate high-cost areas, thus promoting targeted energy savings. Additionally, VEL should prioritize data security, proposing robust measures at both the application and device levels. Third-party verification should ensure the potential protection of residents' data, addressing privacy concerns associated with energy monitoring systems.

Milestone 2.3: Concept Selection

General Design Concepts

Minimum cost

• Shall cost ~20% of homeowner's saved money (Subject to Change)

Minimum maintenance and ease of maintenance

• Shall require a 1-3 yearly inspection

• Shall provide a home-breaker inspection service and/or a user support hotline

Specific Design Goals

• Shall quantitate end user's energy efficiency into the score

• Shall utilize Artificial Intelligence to give insight

• Shall include a mobile application through which the user can interact with the data collected by the VEL.

Milestone 2.5: Analysis

Hardware Specifications:

• ESP8266 Board

• ~12x Current Transformer

• Wiring

Software Specifications: 

• Board Control Software

• Google Firebase Server

• React Native Mobile App

Milestone 2.6: Test Plan

1. Software + Concept Testing (Nov - Dec 2023):

• Review and validate software requirements.

• Execute unit tests for software components, ensuring basic functionality.

• Validate UI design and real-time data cloud connectivity.

2. Hardware Prototype Testing (Jan - Feb 2024):

• Build and test a functional hardware prototype.

• Assess data collection reliability, power consumption, and efficiency.

• Perform stress tests for varied conditions.

3. Integration and Compatibility (Jan - Feb 2024):

• Integrate software with hardware for seamless data flow.

• Test compatibility with utility meters.

• Ensure smooth integration with the mobile app.

4. Mobile App Compatibility (Jan - Feb 2024):

• Develop and test a mobile app interface.

• Verify compatibility across iOS and Android.

• Test real-time synchronization, responsiveness, and performance.

5. System-wide Testing (Mar 2024):

• Conduct end-to-end testing, evaluating performance and scalability.

• Validate security measures implemented in both software and hardware.

6. Optimization and Refinement (Mar 2024):

• Optimize software and hardware components for enhanced performance.

• Implement refinements based on user feedback.

• Conduct additional testing for validation.

7. Finalization and Expo Prep (Apr 2024):

• Conduct final stability testing.

• Prepare and rehearse expo presentation.

• Gather feedback for future improvements and document testing outcomes.