Altum: A Power Outlet Adapter That  Autonomously Reduces Standby Power

Summary

Altum is a power outlet adapter that connects between a power outlet and an electrical plug of any appliance to reduce standby power waste (power consumed by appliances that are plugged in but not active, an estimated 23% of residential electricity). The adapter was built with an Arduino Uno, a current sensor, a relay module, and an outlet switch. A machine learning algorithm was trained to determine whether an appliance is on standby. The adapter disconnects an appliance when it is on standby, periodically reconnecting to “check” if the appliance needs to wake up (disconnecting if still on standby).

I thought of the idea and built the electronic hardware. My partner Abhi wrote the Arduino code and the machine learning algorithm. Previously, Abhi and I worked with three other friends to prepare a report, business plan, and pitch video for the Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge 2018, where we were Alternate Finalists. We also filed a patent application (pending).

• Patent: Ko, J.; Ge, C.; Upadhyay, A.; Gupta, Y.; Mattur, T. (2018). Method and System for Reducing Standby Power Losses. US Patent No. 62/615,733. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Pending.

• California Science and Engineering Fair

  • Plug-In America EV Excellence Award: Best Overall Senior Project, $200, 2018

  • Qualifier, 2018

  • Power Outlet Adapter to Autonomously Reduce Standby Power Losses Using Machine Learning, Founder/Partner, team of 2: Jonathan Ko, Abhi Upadhyay

• Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair

  • 1st place in category, 2018

  • Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair top 15 overall, 2018

  • Chevron Education Award, $1000, 2018

  • Yale Science & Engineering Association Award for Most Outstanding Exhibit in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, or Chemistry, 2018

  • Method and System for Reducing Standby Power Losses, Founder/Partner, team of 2: Jonathan Ko, Abhi Upadhyay

• Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge, Energy and Environment Category, 2017-2018

  • Alternate Finalist

  • Founder/Captain, Team Novus: Jonathan Ko, Carolyn Ge, Abhi Upadhyay, Yash Gupta, Tejas Mattur

abstract

Standby power, the power consumed by appliances that are plugged in but not in active use, wastes an estimated 23% of residential electricity. Existing methods to reduce standby power (unplugging, powerstrips, timers, and remote-controlled outlets) are inefficient due to human negligence. Using machine learning, this project proposes an autonomous power outlet adapter for reducing standby power waste.

The adapter was built with an Arduino Uno, a current sensor, a relay module, and an outlet switch. A machine learning algorithm was trained to determine whether an appliance is on standby. The adapter was designed to disconnect an appliance when it is on standby, periodically reconnecting to “check” if the appliance needs to wake up (disconnecting again if still on standby). The adapter was tested by measuring the standby energy consumed by a speaker playing intermittent audio over four hours both with and without the adapter.

The adapter saved 61.4% of standby energy with 14-second intervals between checks. Increasing the interval between checks saves more energy, but also delays wake-up time. “Checking” every 10 seconds(s), 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, or 60s would save 34.5%, 67.2%, 78.2%, 83.6%, 86.9%, or 89.1% of the speaker’s expended standby energy, respectively.

The adapter design can successfully reduce standby power waste with the tradeoff of delayed wake-up time. If implemented universally, the adapter is projected to reduce household energy consumption by up to 20% (60-second checking), saving $16.9 billion in the US yearly. The estimated reduction in US carbon emissions is equivalent to that of 45 coal plants.

FAQ

What is your innovative product/service?

Altum is a device that connects between a power outlet and an electrical plug to decrease standby power waste by 98%. Altum autonomously connects an appliance to power only when it is in use and disconnects when it is on standby.

What challenge(s) is your product/service designed to solve?

Standby power, the use of energy by appliances that are plugged in but not turned on, wastes 23% of all residential energy (NRDC). Electricity production also represents 35% of carbon dioxide emissions, contributing to climate change (EIA).

What are the key features of your product/service that make it special?

Altum uses deep learning algorithms encoded onto a microchip to process ammeter data and recognize when an appliance is on standby. Then, it cuts off connection to the power outlet, periodically reconnecting to allow the appliance to be turned on.

How is your product/service innovative and different from other product/services intended to solve the same challenges?

The current alternatives involve setting timers or disconnecting power with a remote control, supporting only specific appliances. Altum offers a plug and play solution for all appliances at a fraction of the cost, creating a novel worry-free user experience.