Energy consumption is increasingly in the spotlight, both for environmental reasons and because of the direct impact on electricity bills. In this context, technologies such as WattWise are gaining prominence thanks to their ability to monitor, analyze and optimize energy use Both in domestic and professional settings. Throughout this article, we'll delve into what WattWise is exactly, how it works, and why it can become an essential tool for saving money and reducing the energy impact of your daily life.
There are various versions and approaches to this technological solution depending on the development and the company behind the project. From command-line tools for high-performance workstations to applications integrated with artificial intelligence that allow you to control devices in your home, WattWise is a clear example of how technology can help us be more efficient with our energy resources.
What is WattWise and what does it consist of?
WattWise is the name they have adopted several independent technological projects and solutions whose common goal is to manage and reduce energy consumption through the use of advanced technology. These projects can range from software systems with artificial intelligence but also command line interface (CLI), to mobile applications for monitoring electricity consumption.
One of the most striking developments was created by Naveen, a robotics engineer, who developed WattWise as a command-line tool for controlling a very energy-intensive workstation. This system relied on devices such as Kasa smart plugs and the platform Home Assistant to monitor energy load in real time and automatically adjust the performance of processors and graphics cards based on the time of day and variable electricity rates.
On the other hand, there are versions more oriented to the general public and residential environments, such as the WattWise applications developed by Arcadia Energy, which combine hardware and software to monitor each electrical circuit in the home, integrate with platforms such as Samsung SmartThings and allow for complete automation of energy use thanks to notification systems, remote control, and behavioral analysis.
WattWise Highlights
One of the most attractive elements of WattWise is its versatilityDepending on the approach adopted, it can offer very different functionalities, all geared toward the same goal: better energy utilization. These are some of the common features found in the different WattWise solutions:
- Real-time monitoring of energy consumption, both globally and by device or circuit, allowing the identification of the largest energy peaks.
- Viewing historical charts and consumption patterns by time slots, days of the week and even seasonality.
- Predicting future behavior based on neural network models (such as GRU) that allow anticipation of high costs or ideal times to consume cheaper energy.
- Remote control of electrical devices through web apps or integration with home automation platforms such as SmartThings.
- Automatic performance optimization on workstations, reducing the CPU or GPU frequency based on current consumption and rates.
In addition, versions like the one developed at the HackUDC 2024 hackathon use language models to generate automatic and personalized explanations that help the user interpret the graphs and make more informed decisions about their energy consumption.
Technical operation of the system
WattWise can be approached from several technological layers. In its most technical version, for example, the system created by Naveen applies a PI type controller (Proportional-Integral) to adapt parameters such as the processor clock speed according to:
- The current load of the system.
- Active energy consumption (obtained through the smart plug).
- The time of day, taking into account variable electricity rates.
Thanks to these parameters, WattWise can perform dynamic regulation that reduces overall power consumption without excessively compromising performance, which is especially useful in systems with powerful hardware and high energy consumption peaks.
The tool relies on devices such as the ESP32 (in more maker or experimental projects), and sensors such as the SCT-013 for current measurements, along with LM358 amplifiers and relay modules to physically control connected devices.
The collected data is sent to the linked web application, where the user can view graphs, statistics, and make customized settings such as consumption schedules or automatic alerts. This modular architecture allows for a great scalability, from an individual home to systems applicable in public infrastructures of smart cities.
Mobile applications and user experience
In addition to the technical and desktop focus, WattWise is also present in the mobile ecosystem with applications available on both Google Play as in Apple App StoreThese applications are developed by Arcadia Energy and are presented as one of the most comprehensive energy management systems for residential solar-powered environments.
One of its main advantages is the ability to connect sensors directly to the electrical switch panel of the home, capturing specific data for each circuit. This allows the user to detect which appliances or areas of the home are consuming the most electricity and at what times of day, thus adjusting their daily behavior to save energy and reduce costs.
Integration with platforms such as Samsung SmartThings It allows, for example, to schedule the washing machine to run only during off-peak hours, or to automatically turn off the air conditioning when no one is home. Additionally, you receive real-time notifications of abnormal consumption and generate periodic reports with personalized savings recommendations.
Difficulties and achievements of development
Developing a system like WattWise has not been without its challenges. Some teams working on this solution highlight the following technical challenges:
- Problems in calibrating current sensors to obtain accurate readings.
- Integration of multiple hardware devices such as relays, sensors and ESP32 microcontrollers.
- Real-time connection stability between the physical hardware and the web platform used by the end user.
However, the results have been highly satisfactory. Many of these projects have succeeded in creating systems accessible, efficient and scalable, with a view not only to domestic use, but also in the future as a key component in urban energy management.
One of WattWise's most ambitious next steps is to integrate voice control, improve machine learning algorithms, and apply these technologies to automated maintenance of public lighting and Power failure detection in smart cities.
With all these advancements, WattWise's future aims to become a key tool within the energy sustainability and digital efficiency ecosystem, leveraging big data and always focusing on the user experience and reducing the environmental impact of homes and communities.