Smart and Low-Cost Transceiver for Energy Sharing and Billing in the Implementation of Swarm Grids

Clean and reliable energy is an area of highly growing research interest; much concentration is on developing a highly efficient, reliable, carbon-free, sustainable, and low-cost source of electrical energy. Renewable energy sources play a big role in this context. In the global south energy access is still a big challenge hence limiting socio-cultural and economic development. This work looks at the solar swarms' grids and shows how the economies of the Households (HHs) can be improved through the extra/saved energy produced by the Solar Home Systems (SHSs). A smart and low-cost transceiver that uses a LoRa WAN communication protocol is developed and tested in the laboratory. This transceiver is capable of sensing; the deficit of electrical energy in the HH and sending a request to other connected houses, a request from the connected HH, and discharging the extra energy to the requesting HH whenever permitted. Lastly, it counts the electrical energy units charged/discharged and calculates the payment required per the agreed payment scheme. The design and simulations are conducted through PROTEUS software. Laboratory prototypes and testing are realized using the sensors, relays, controllers, variable electronic loads, programmable DC supply, and LoRa modules. Swarm grid implementers are then advised to use this type of smart transceiver for cost efficiency and to upgrade the life standard of the HHs.