COTS-based stick-on electricity meters for building submetering

We demonstrate a low-cost, 21 × 12 mm prototype Stick-on Electricity Meter (SEM) PCB to replace traditional in-circuit-breaker-panel current and voltage sensors for building submetering. A SEM sensor is installed on the external face of a circuit breaker to generate voltage and current signals at a 960 Hz sample rate. This allows for the computation of real and apparent power as well as capturing harmonics created by non-linear loads. The prototype sensor is built using commercially available components, resulting in a component cost of under $10 per SEM in moderate quantities. With no high-voltage install work requiring an electrician, this leads to an installed system cost that is roughly ten times lower than traditional submetering technology. Measurement results from lab characterization as well as a real-world residential dwelling installation are presented, verifying the operation of our proposed SEM sensor. The SEM sensor can resolve breaker power levels below 10W and consumes approximately 16 mA from a 5V supply.