An Embedded Deep Learning NILM System: A Year-Long Field Study in Real Houses

Abstract

Abstract-Nonintrusive load monitoring (NILM) systems are used to identify the energy consumption patterns of individual devices in an electrical system, but broadening their market availability is a significant challenge. In this paper, a NILM system using edge processing is proposed, in which energy consumption data are processed directly on the device installed at the monitored facility. Specifically, it uses a sequence-to-point approach based on a convolutional neural network implemented on an Arm Cortex-M7 microcontroller. This paper also reports the results of an extensive 12-month testing phase. The NILM system was installed in two real houses in central Italy to evaluate its installation and potential application in real-world scenarios. This study presents a promising solution that enables the widespread adoption of NILM systems by reducing their implementation cost and complexity and addresses the privacy concerns associated with cloud-based data processing. The results of our real-world testing provide compelling evidence of the potential of the proposed NILM system in various applications, including smart homes, building automation, and industrial energy management.