The development of a power switching mechanism over the internet infrastructure

Abstract

The advancement of technology has lead to an escalating demand and reliance. This has inevitably lead to an alarming rate of depletion of the natural resources utilized to fuel the technology. Electrical energy is one of the critical resources that virtually power the economy from economic functions to the extreme of health services. Considering its limitation especially in developing countries, Uganda inclusive, there is need to conserve the available supply and avoid energy waste. Power wastage in homes contributes to significant percentage of power loses. Power saving mechanisms in place do not address the human element when a user forgets and moves from home without switching off lights that must be switched off. Sometimes because of security reasons, people are forced not to switch off security lights and other security equipment whenever they expect to return home late or after a few days of travel. In this design we utilize Data communication and Software Engineering principles to provide a solution to the above problem. Since the solution utilizes the internet infrastructure, its effectiveness surpasses geographical limitations. The system also has the functionality of scheduling to switch ON or OFF the lights at preset times supplemented with a feedback mechanism so the user can remotely know the status of the lights whenever required. The developed prototype was tested and confirmed functional and low cost, with a few modification, the design can be used to control any appliance any where.