Design and implementation of a web-based smart power distribution unit

Abstract

Monitoring energy consumption of servers is a major need in data centers for energy management. Presently, most data centers use smart Power Distribution Unit (PDU) to supply energy to their servers and at the same time to monitor the servers' energy consumption. However, these PDUs are costly since these are not manufactured in the Philippines and have to be procured overseas. Hence, this project developed a low-cost smart PDU built from cheap and locally available parts. The PDU was created using gizDuinoX development board, ENC28J60 Ethernet shield, CS5464 power and temperature measuring IC, and voltage and current sensors. Moreover, the PDU was integrated into a web-based application for monitoring energy consumption. A wired Ethernet was used for the network communication between the PDU hardware and the server computer. The smart PDU developed in this project has an accuracy error of approximately +/-1.5% in its power and energy measurements, which is within the benchmark set by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).