IoT power monitoring device using Wi-fi and
Arduino
Oltean Andrei
Department of Electric Power Systems and Management
Technical University of Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
andrei.oltean@student.utcluj.ro
2021 9th International Conference on Modern Power Systems (MPS) | 978-1-6654-3382-2/21/$31.00 ©2021 IEEE | DOI: 10.1109/MPS52805.2021.9492651
Anca Miron
Department of Electric Power Systems and Management
Technical University of Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
anca.miron@enm.utcluj.ro
Abstract— Reliable real-time power measurement data
represents a vital role in understanding energy behavior from a
consumer standpoint. Energy efficiency is directly influenced by
monitoring electric parameters. With collected live data, the
challenge becomes how to organize and analyze datasets of
information. The purpose is to design and build a low-cost
electronic monitoring device using Arduino and IoT for
electricity monitoring. The main capabilities are to measure,
record, and transmit using wi-fi connection all the essential
electric parameters in a web-based application. Monitored
electric parameters are voltage, current, power factor, phase
angle, power, and energy. The developed prototype is versatile
in multiple types of low voltage installations, mainly household
appliances. Measurements are transmitted remotely in an online
database, where the data can be stored and analyzed in real-
time. The solution has permanent storage and facilitates
consultation of past and current records. The market approach
is possible because of the low-cost of the device. A commercial
version would be suitable and could easily integrate Smart Grid
applications. Using real-time energy data and monitoring
software, consumers can measure high consumption loads,
reduce base loads, evaluate peak and off-peak hours and
identify irregularities. Optimize usage scheduling and track
energy-saving targets and goals more accurately.
Keywords—Smart Grid, IoT, real-time, smart metering,
Arduino
I. INTRODUCTION
A power monitoring meter is a device used to measure the
amount of electric energy consumed by an end-user. The
power is delivered from power plants using large
interconnected electric systems that continuously supply
electricity. In this process, from a small or medium-size user
perspective, we are not aware of the consumed quantity of
electricity every month. The existing utility systems inform
consumers about a bill about electrical energy consumed in
kilowatt-hours (kWh). However, a user cannot track the power
usage on a more immediate basis.
The first step is to develop an intelligent metering system
that can read electric parameters in real-time, store these
parameters and send them through Wi-fi to visualize them in
different timeframes. This approach is common because of its
usage and simplicity. Many systems were installed in
household areas, even in school buildings and universities
worldwide as presented in [1],[2]. There is also a high interest
in developing a power factor metering, as seen in [3],[4].
978-1-6654-3382-2/21/$31.00 ©2021 IEEE
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Stefan Ungureanu
Department of Electric Power Systems and Management
Technical University of Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
stefan.ungureanu@enm.utcluj.ro
Andrei C. Cziker
Department of Electric Power Systems and Management
Technical University of Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
andrei.cziker@enm.utcluj.ro
Authors are looking to build systems with higher sampling
rates for better reading of different parameters. Moreover,
similar applications can be used in different frameworks, such
as monitoring systems combined with overvoltage protecting
devices or automatic power factor correction units [5],[6].
However, having device sensors without connecting and
collecting the data in a period is profitless.
One efficient way to access and analyze electric data is
through IoT [7], which is a system consisting of components
with embedded electronic systems (meters, sensors) while
having an internet connection. The significant benefit of IoT
is its feature to combine physical components into the internet,
thereby being an active user while sharing information.
The Arduino-based wireless single-phase power meter
proposed is suitable for household needs, also having easy
access to a web interface whereby data is read. Similar
approaches implemented by [8] and [9] proved the success of
the hardware platform. The goal is to offer a low-cost solution
that will optimize power usage by acknowledging about
every-month consumptions.
II. METHODOLOGY
A. Reading parameters
The diagram presented in (Fig.1) shows the Arduino and
NodeMCU - based power meter. The circuit consists of
current and voltage sensors and integrated circuits that
calculate the power factor, together with real and apparent
power. Collected data is then transmitted using serial
communication to the wi-fi-compatible board, which sends it
further to IoT cloud. Every electric parameter is saved every 5
seconds, and a simple chart for visualization is generated in a
web interface hosted by adafruit IO.
1) Voltage measurement
For AC voltage parameter, ZMPT101B Arduino sensor
was chosen. It is a single-phase transformer that can read AC
voltage up to 250V rooted mean square (rms) and it is
optimized for Arduino environment in terms of output analog
values ( between 0 and 5V). In theory, RMS value is the
average obtained by instantaneous values that can vary, taken
over a complete cycle, resulting an effective value shown in
formula below:
 that can be read. 5V is maxim voltage reference for Arduino
analog pins.
3) Power factor measurement
For measuring power factor with Arduino
microcontrollers, Op-Amps (LM324N) and XOR (exclusive-
OR) gate (IC4030) were used.
The power factor of a system is defined as the ratio of real
power to apparent power. Real power is measured in watts and
the apparent power in volt-ampers. Apparent power can be
calculated as the vector sum of the active and reactive power.
All these happen because the voltage and current are not in
phase. Applying cosine to the phase angle, we obtain the
power factor.
Op-Amps act as zero-cross detectors to detect when a
phase shift appears between current and voltage, as mentioned
before, collecting and converting the sine wave signals from
ZMPT101B and SCT-013-050 to digital outputs toward the
logic circuit XOR inputs. There will be used one Op-Amp per
parameter.
XOR gate output will determine whether there is a phase
shift between voltage and current or not, comparing the time
Fig.1 Main components of the power monitoring device delay for each input value. If both current and voltage are
digitally active at the same time, XOR will output zero (Fig. 2
and Fig. 3).
= ∑ (1)

where is the voltage for nth sample taken and N is the total
number of samples.
Because Arduino UNO can read analog values with a
resolution of 210 bit, analog values can vary between 0 and
1023. When the module is powered up but there is no
connection from output pin to Arduino UNO, the analog
output value will result 512, or roughly 2.5 V. All the calculus
regarding voltage measurement is done using emon library
resources [10].
Fig. 2 Exclusive-OR gate [11]
2) Current measurement
Translated into electric theory, when voltage and current
are in-phase, it means that the load is resistive (Fig. 4), and the
For current measurement, a non-invasive SCT-013-050 power factor will be ideally equal to one (XOR outputs value
split core current transformer, able to read up to zero). On the other hand, if either current or voltage are not
50A, RMS value. Thus, RMS value for current can be digitally active at the same time, the XOR gate will output
calculated as : value one since phase-shift occurs (due to passive components
of the load, such as capacitors or inductors), resulting in a
= ∑ (2) power factor less than one.

is the voltage for nth sample taken and N is the total number
of samples.
Current sensor has 1000 windings in secondary, outputting
a maximum of 1V when primary reads 50A. For extending
domain to 5V peak-to-peak, the following adjustment is done:
burden resistor has 27 Ω by construction and for reaching 5V,
Ohm’s law is used, as shown below [16]:

= √
= 70Ω (3)

Where RB represents Burden’s resistance, Nw is the Fig. 3 XOR digital logic output [11]
number of windings and IRMS is the maximum current value

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 Power factor derives from ON-time XOR output,
put in the formula as shown below:

! = "#$%& ∙ () ∙ 360, (4)

where ! stands for power factor, f represents the frequency

equal to 50 Hertz and dt is written as the time difference
between two phases or XOR output one, measured in seconds.

Fig. 4 Flowchart for electric parameters reading

Figure 4. Sine-wave form when load is resistive [11]
Gathered data is displayed on Arduino compatible LCD,
B. Software and further goes in adafruit IO server for visualization of data
Software is written using a simplified C Arduino IDE in a custom-made interface. Effective voltage, current, power
environment. Fig. 4 shows the proposed flowchart for reading factor, and real power are displayed in real-time (every
electric parameters and power factor. Thanks to the open parameter is sent every 5 seconds) [13]
energy monitor and energy monitor library, the readings can
be simplified in terms of code number lines [10]. Collected
data from sensors goes further to ADC as input for Op-Amps, Diagram from Fig. 4 related to the power factor is better
voltage, and current. XOR comparator detects different phase explained in Fig. 5.
crossings. The goal is to measure the parameters every second
and send data packs once in 5 seconds. Thanks to integrated
software solutions as adafruit IO, electric parameters can be
displayed and analyzed. [15]
Software serial library was used for simplicity of sending
JSON data packs from Arduino UNO to NodeMCU board
[12]. NodeMCU uses the MQTT protocol over Wi-Fi to
transfer the data packs. In adafruit interface were created
Feeds as data inputs, and every feed is unique for its
parameter. Wi-Fi client for Adafuit IO is previously defined
(username, unique key, server, and server port), also ought to
be the Wi-Fi parameters (WLAN SSID and password).

Fig.5 Proposed method for power factor

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 Pin 13 is set as output from the XOR gate towards Arduino
input. First, parameters were set zero by default. The phase
angle is calculated in degrees from differentiated time pulse.
The cosine function uses radians, not degrees; therefore,
conversion is obtained by dividing angle over 57.2958 (1
radian equals approximately 58.2958 degrees). Afterward, if
the angle is higher than 360 degrees or equal to 0, the power
factor tends to one, and the phase angle is set to 0. All the code
happens inside of a loop void function.
III. IMPLEMENTATION
A. Schemes
Based on the flowchart regarding electric values, the Figure 6. Schematic for parameters [11]
scheme from below will explain the circuitry used for
mentioned parameters, and Fig. 7 the actual montage. Filtering capacitors in this circuit were important due to
power supply noise that can occur, as good as for insulating
logic gates.

Fig. 7 Voltage, current and power factor circuitry [13].

Both resistors for current readings have the same value of

100 kΩ as the reference for threshold, serving as mid-point,
presented in Fig. 8. The voltage drop across the burden resistor
will have a sine form. Because of the adjustment made in
section 2), Arduino will read and output analog values. Also,
diodes were used as we need rectified units into integrated
circuits.

Figure 8. Explanatory for current reading [11]

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 Also, Fig. 11 brings up results from a variable transformer
used for testing. RMS voltage measured by the ZMPT sensor
B. Testing matches with the value read by the multimeter.

For testing voltage readings, we need to make sure the

sensor is plotting a sine wave first. One easy method to Table 1. Devices used for testing and obtained
calibrate it is to simply plot the analog values and adjust the parameters
potentiometer (Fig10). Afterward, to verify the voltage values,
List of devices used for testing
we have used a variable transformer, slowly varying the
cursor, increasing voltage that way. Fig. 11 excellently points NO Voltage Current
S
Plate PF
to the actual voltage read by Digital Multimeter and obtained Element [V] [A] P [P/S]
[VA]
[W]
voltage using voltage sensor. The multimeter has a 0.1V 229 3.65 0.96
1 Heater step 1 835 800
resolution for the scales of 200V and an accuracy of 0.8% ± 2.
2 Heater step 2 225.5 5.32 1215 1200 0.987
[14].
3 Heater step 3 222.21 9 2030 2000 0.985
3 Hairdryer step 1 231.03 1.08 250.2 200 0.799

Figure 10. Analogic sinewave form of ZMPT voltage

module

Figure 12. Measured electric parameters of a hair-dryer

step one

Figure 11. Matching the voltage read by sensor and

multimeter

Related to current and power factor readings, Table 1 below

shows the obtained values form different devices.

C. Results
Fig.13 Voltage values in Adafruit IO [15]
Table 1 highlights few devices that were measured and
managed to analyze their power usage. A resistive load has a
power factor of one, but in the case of the hairdryer using just Fig.13 underlines the voltage recorded in different
the heat resulted from step one, the power factor was roughly timeframes. Adafruit allows a data transfer rate every 5
0.8, which can be explained based on the inductive seconds due to congestion reasons.
components of the motor. (Fig. 12)

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 [2] L. Pocero, D. Amaxilatis, G. Mylonas, and I. Chatzigiannakis, "Open
source IoT meter devices for smart and energy-efficient school
buildings," HardwareX, vol. 1, pp. 54-67, 2017.
[3] P. P. Machado, T. P. Abud, M. Z. Fortes, B. S. M. C. Borba, Power
factor metering system using arduino, in: 2017 IEEE Workshop on
Power Electronics and Power Quality Applications (PEPQA), 2017,
pp. 1–6. doi:10.1109/PEPQA.2017.7981633.
[4] T. S. Gunawan, M. H. Anuar, M. Kartiwi, Z. Janin, Development of
power factor meter using arduino, in: 2018 IEEE 5th International
Conference on Smart Instrumentation, Measurement and Application
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[5] D. D. Tung, N. M. Khoa, An Arduino-Based System for Monitoring
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[6] M. B. Khan and M. Owais, "Automatic power factor correction unit,"
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Engineering (ICE Cube), 2016, pp. 283-288, doi:
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[7] G. Bedi, G. K. Venayagamoorthy, R. Singh, R. R. Brooks, K. Wang,
Review of internet of things (iot) in electric power and energy systems,
In Fig. 14, several devices were also used to test if current IEEE Internet of Things Journal 5 (2) (2018) 847–870.
values are plotted correctly. Zero values can be explained as a doi:10.1109/JIOT.2018.2802704.
no-load measurement (the measuring device was turned off). [8] P. P. Machado, T. P. Abud, M. Z. Fortes, B. S. M. C. Borba, Power
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IV. CONCLUSIONS AND DIRECTIONS [9] T. S. Gunawan, M. H. Anuar, M. Kartiwi, Z. Janin, Development of
power factor meter using arduino, in: 2018 IEEE 5th International
This paper presents a monitoring device regarding electric Conference on Smart Instrumentation, Measurement and Application
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based on everyday consumptions or fault detection. QVK3MWWh9R?usp=sharingT
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[14] Digitam Multimeter datasheet https://datasheetspdf.com/pdf-
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