A unified framework for smart home automation and energy analytics through matter and Modbus integration

The growing need for intelligent and energy-efficient residential environments has driven the development of smart home automation solutions that integrate multiple household systems into a unified control platform. These systems enable efficient monitoring, management, and optimization of energy usage while enhancing user convenience and sustainability. This paper involves the design and construction of an automation and energy metering system in a smart home that is developed based on the Home Assistant platform using Raspberry Pi 3B running version 16.2 (rpi.3). The system uses the Aqara Hub M3 to connect Matter-based devices and use energy meters that can connect to the hub using the Modbus standard to monitor and control the entire system. Two sub-projects were undertaken whose main aim was to automate lighting, fans and other electrical appliances and also monitor real time the energy consumption of both BESCOM and the Diesel Generator (DG) sources. The system is remote accessible via HomeKit (iOS) and Aqara Home (Android) applications and has an interactive dashboard to visualize energy consumption, supply source status, and estimate dynamic tariff. Its design shows how some protocols, including Matter and Modbus RS485, can interact and communicate in spite of the differences between the heterogeneous devices.