Enabling applicability of energy saving applications on the appliances of the home environment

Given the energy waste problem in contemporary households and the consequent need for optimal energy use, this article presents a novel network architecture that is generically applicable on domestic appliances, such as white goods, and audiovisual and communication equipment, and is capable of performing real-time management of their energy consumption. Deploying the latest information and communication technology, the proposed architecture enables definition of energy saving applications that perform three main functions: real-time estimation of the energy consumption of the home environment, without exploiting smart metering devices; control of domestic appliances energy use so that energy consumption of the home environment is kept within user-defined limits; and autonomous identification and management of standby devices, targeting minimal energy consumption.