Inexpensive remote campus power sensing, measurement and monitoring system via a student designed and manufactured device

This paper details methods used to find an inexpensive means by which Rowan University could find out exactly why it lead a group of 20 peer universities and colleges in energy consumption per square foot and assist the university in meeting its sustainability commitment to the governors office and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. This was not easy given the exponential growth this southern New Jersey University had been experiencing in student population, energy use and building square feet. With the assistance of their professor, and a commitment of their electrical engineering training, a student team undertook to develop an energy auditors dream machine: a cheap, portable, energy monitor that produces reliable data and can be safely installed without requiring the aid of a professional electrician. This paper details the background of their challenge, the approaches they considered and most importantly the innovation they are creating: their power sensing, measuring and monitoring system for a total cost of less than $100.