About

About the Smart AC Management System

An IoT-based solution for optimizing energy efficiency and comfort in SEGi University's electrical labs

The SEGi University Smart AC Management System is an Internet of Things (IoT) project designed to address the challenge of energy waste in the university's electrical labs. Split-unit air conditioners are often operated inefficiently, leading to significant energy consumption and increased costs. This system provides a smart, automated solution, utilizing distributed sensors and microcontrollers, to optimize AC usage, enhance occupant comfort, and contribute to SEGi University's sustainability goals.

Solution Overview

The SEGi Smart AC Management System is a comprehensive, distributed IoT solution designed to address these challenges. By leveraging a network of ESP8266 and ESP32 microcontrollers, along with precise current transformers and environmental sensors, this system intelligently automates AC control, optimizes energy usage, and enhances occupant comfort. The system utilizes a Raspberry Pi 5 as a central server, hosting the user interface and coordinating communication between the distributed components. This distributed architecture allows for greater flexibility, scalability, and responsiveness compared to a centralized approach.

Key Features & Benefits

Real-time Occupancy Detection

Automatically adjusts AC operation based on the presence of people in the lab, eliminating energy waste in empty spaces. Uses a wide-angle fisheye camera with IR capabilities for improved coverage and night vision.

Remote Monitoring and Control

Allows facilities managers to monitor energy consumption, adjust AC settings, and troubleshoot issues from anywhere via a user-friendly web interface.

Automated Temperature Control

Maintains a comfortable temperature range using a PID controller and heat index calculations, ensuring a pleasant environment for lab occupants.

Distributed Sensing and Control

Utilizes ESP8266 microcontrollers for individual AC unit control and ESP32 for environmental and current monitoring, providing a more granular and responsive system.

Precise Current Monitoring

Employs SCT-013 current transformers to accurately measure the power consumption of each AC unit, enabling detailed energy usage analysis.

Environmental Monitoring

Includes a BME280 sensor to monitor temperature, humidity, and pressure, providing a comprehensive understanding of the lab's environmental conditions.

IR Control of AC Units

Enables the system to control existing split-unit ACs via IR signals, making it a cost-effective solution without requiring AC unit replacements.

Secure Access Control

Provides different user roles (Admin, Moderator, Trusted User, User) with varying levels of access, ensuring system security.

Technology Used

  • Main Server: Raspberry Pi 5
  • Occupancy Detection: YOLOv11 object detection model, Fisheye Lens Raspberry Pi 5MP IR Camera
  • AC Control Microcontrollers: 2 x NodeMCU ESP8266
  • Current & Environmental Sensing Microcontroller: ESP32
  • Temperature Sensing: 1 x DHT11 Sensor for AC vent, 1 x DHT11 Sensor for room temperature backup
  • Current Sensing: 2 x SCT-013 (30A 1V) Current Transformers
  • Environmental Sensing: BME280 Sensor (Temperature, Humidity, Pressure)
  • AC Control: IR LED (via ESP8266)
  • Communication: MQTT (Mosquitto broker on Raspberry Pi 5)
  • Frontend: HTML, CSS, JavaScript
  • Backend: Python (Flask microframework)
  • Database: SQLite for data storage, ZeroMQ for inter-process communication
  • Control Algorithm: PID Controller

Project Team

Student:
Chin Sebastian

Supervisor:
Ir. Azri Adi Arbai and Dr. Gilbert Thio Tzer Hwai

Course:
EEE4996 Final Year Project (II) JAN – APR 2025

Institution:
SEGi University

Faculty:
Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and IT (FoEBEIT)

Program:
Bachelor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering with Honours

Contact Us

For inquiries about the SEGi Smart AC Management System, please contact:

[email protected]