Abstract:
Monitoring of solar water heater systems can be a
daunting task for residential home owners. The effective
management of solar water heaters is dependent on accurate data
regarding the usage and measurable parameters of the specific
installed system. This research aimed to develop a non-complex
and cost effective solar water heater monitoring system that is
connected to the internet of things for data collection. Data
collected by the system includes the power consumed by the
system, the outside and inside temperatures, as well as the time of
occurrence. The designed system is non-complex in the sense that
it can easily be installed by the home owner without disturbing the
existing electrical wiring of the residential house. Furthermore,
data is collected via an internet server, called ThingSpeak, using
an existing WiFi connection at the residence. The system is costeffective
regarding affordable hardware and free software that is
used in the operation of the system. With data that is obtained from
the system regarding warm water usage and power consumption,
the home owner can make informed decisions to optimize the solar
water installation.
