EMPOWERING PAKISTAN’S POWER SECTOR: INTELLIGENT SMART METERS WITH ARDUINO AND GSM MODEM FOR OVERLOAD CONTROL AND FLEXIBLE LOAD MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Electrical energy is the most widely used source of energy to run household  electrical appliances such as lamps, motors and air conditioners today. Electricity plays a crucial role in everyday life, greatly influencing people's lifestyles and occupations. WAPDA in Pakistan is the main organization in charge of generating and distributing electricity across the country. Normally, an employee from WAPDA inspects the energy meter monthly to calculate a consumer's energy consumption, and the consumer is charged according to the units used. This system fails to offer immediate data on energy usage, leading to surprise high bills and hindering effective energy management by consumers. In order to tackle this problem, we are developing a prototype for a three-phase smart energy meter. The research goal involves enhancing an ordinary energy meter through the integration of a microcontroller system with GSM module technology. The microcontroller gathers data about both current and voltage in stage one to stage three followed by power loss calculations to display real-time usage findings to end-users. The system has the capability to establish a predetermined load threshold for each phase. A message will be sent simultaneously to users and the company through notifications if the system reaches its operational threshold. Users will gain assistance through this system to manage and track their energy consumption patterns. An exceeding of permitted energy usage will trigger the meter to activate WAPDA notification services when a short circuit occurs. This function offers safeguarding for residential consumers as well as the Distribution Transformer. The project also recommends various techniques for reactivating the relay in each of the three phases. The first stage can be manually reclosed by the user by pressing a touch button, while the second stage will automatically reclose after a one- minute delay, which is customizable by the company. If the consumer effectively regulates their load, the third stage will automatically close again two minutes later; if not, it will stay open.