In the context of the ongoing global warming, with environmental concerns regarding the greenhouse gas emissions due to our increasing energy consumption, smart energy management solutions have gained popularity as they have the potential to reduce our impact on the environment and also on our budgets. This paper proposes one of the most affordable designs for an autonomous, microcontroller-based demand-side energy management system to be installed in a home environment where it reduces the standby power consumed by the controlled devices. As a secondary function, it monitors and controls the lights to further save energy. The proposed system is designed to operate independently and also to limit the new wireless sources of electro-magnetic radiation introduced in the home environment. Six homes have been analyzed in terms of the measured energy consumption and to evaluate the energy management capabilities of the system, a prototype was built and tested. Promising results have been obtained and are detailed in the Results and Conclusion sections. A very low purchase price and good performance make this design a viable solution for intelligent home energy management, in today’s economic context.

In today’s world, more than ever before, we are fascinated and drawn towards smart autonomous devices that make our lives safer and more comfortable. Devices that aid in reducing our energy consumption are also highly appreciated but often quite expensive to buy. This context is favorable for developing an autonomous smart home automation system (SHAS) with energy-saving potential and low price, making it widely accessible. This paper presents the design and prototype implementation of such a low-cost micro-controller based autonomous SHAS that learns the resident’s work schedule and integrates a wide array of sensors and actuators to automatically control the lights, temperature, humidity and power sockets. The proposed automation system also monitors the home environment for potential energy-saving opportunities, gas leaks, or unauthorized entry. For reliability purposes and to limit the risk of signal interference, the proposed system design uses a wired inter-module communication method. To enhance the home’s security, both personal identification number (PIN) protection and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) communication are added, making the proposed system design less vulnerable to cyber-attacks when compared to other wireless alternatives. The hardware and software architectures, the prototype test results and the cost analysis are presented in detail, validating the system’s design and efficient operation as an autonomous smart home automation system.