SmartGrid IoT
Overview
SmartGrid_IoT is an IoT-based smart grid simulation testbed created during a CCI (Commonwealth Cyber Initiative) High School Internship at VMI (Virginia Military Institute). The project models a small-scale power grid with generators, houses, and monitoring systems, all controllable through MQTT messaging servers.
GitHub: voidReq/SmartGrid_IoT
Tech Stack
- Language: C++ (Arduino)
- Hardware: NodeMCU ESP8266, INA219 power monitors, relays, solar panel, water generator
- Protocol: MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport)
- Platform: Arduino IDE
System Architecture
The testbed consists of three main layers:
Power Generation
- A water generator and solar panel feed into a 12V battery
- Relays controlled via MQTT can toggle each generator on/off independently
- Voltage sensors report real-time readings to MQTT topics (
vmi/solar/voltage,vmi/water/voltage)
Power Distribution
- The battery output is regulated from 12V down to 5V using power regulators
- A central power board distributes power to simulated "houses"
- Each house has a fan and light, individually controllable via MQTT relays
Monitoring & Control
- INA219 modules measure current, wattage, and voltage per house
- All diagnostics are published to dedicated MQTT topics
- The system supports full remote control of all components
MQTT Topic Map
# Reading Values
vmi/house1/current_mA # House 1 current draw
vmi/house1/wattage_mW # House 1 power consumption
vmi/house1/voltage # House 1 voltage
vmi/house2/current_mA # House 2 current draw
vmi/house2/wattage_mW # House 2 power consumption
vmi/house2/voltage # House 2 voltage
vmi/solar/voltage # Solar panel voltage
vmi/water/voltage # Water generator voltage
# Control Commands (0 = off, 1 = on)
vmi/house1/light # Toggle house 1 light
vmi/house1/fan # Toggle house 1 fan
vmi/house2/light # Toggle house 2 light
vmi/house2/fan # Toggle house 2 fan
vmi/water/toggle # 0/1 for water, 2/3 for solar