Experimental Validation of a Low-Cost IoT-Based Residential Electrical Monitoring System using ESP32 and PZEM-004T

Abstract

The increasing demand for residential electricity and the limited availability of detailed consumption information highlight the need for accessible and reliable monitoring solutions. In many residential settings, users lack visibility of real-time electrical behavior, which restricts their ability to identify inefficiencies or abnormal operating conditions. This paper presents the design and experimental validation of a low-cost IoT-based system for real-time monitoring of electrical parameters in residential environments. The proposed system integrates an ESP32 microcontroller with a PZEM-004T V3.0 measurement module to acquire six electrical variables: voltage, current, active power, energy consumption, frequency, and power factor. Data are transmitted to a cloud-based platform for real-time visualization and storage, enabling continuous monitoring and analysis of electrical consumption patterns. Experimental validation was conducted under real residential operating conditions using inductive, resistive, and electronic household loads. Measurements obtained from the proposed system were compared against a calibrated commercial reference instrument to evaluate measurement consistency and system stability under different electrical consumption profiles. The results show mean absolute errors of 0.31 V for voltage, 0.008 A for current, and 1.16 W for active power, with low percentage deviations under typical residential operating conditions. The findings indicate that the proposed system provides reliable performance for residential monitoring applications, offering a balance between cost, functionality, and implementation simplicity. This makes it suitable for energy awareness, educational use, and preliminary energy auditing in household environments, particularly in contexts where low-cost solutions are required.