Design and Implementation of an Automated Power Consumption Monitoring System for Multi-Tenant-Based Billing in Residential Buildings

Abstract

This paper presents the design and implementation of an automated power consumption monitoring system tailored for multi-tenant-based billing in residential buildings. Traditional manual metering methods often lead to inaccurate billing, disputes, and reduced incentives for energy conservation. To address these challenges a prototype was built using a transformer-less 5V supply, 50A CT, HLW8032 metering IC, Arduino Nano, IR receiver, and TM1637 7-segment display; firmware (C++, 500Hz sampling) computes RMS/energy, logs to Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM) and handles secure resets. Calibration and tests showed current error ? ±0.7%, voltage error ? ±0.4% (power error <1%), 5V regulation within ±0.3% with <100 mVpp ripple, and a 48-hour field trial recorded kWh deviations between ? 0.54% and + 0.48% (? ±0.6%). EEPROM persisted through power interrupts, IR resets decoded ?98% of the time, firmware ran 72hours without issues, and display refresh averaged ~37 ms. The prototype meets the project objectives which is accurate, repeatable tenant-level monitoring and automated billing with low measurement error and robust operation, demonstrating suitability for residential deployment. Recommended next steps are scaling the architecture for larger complexes, adding networked connectivity and secure cloud APIs, improving the user interface (mobile and web dashboard), and incorporating advanced analytics for consumption forecasting and automated energy-saving recommendations