Real-time logging in energy management systems using Node.js

01 Oct 2023

In energy management systems, logging real-time data is crucial for monitoring and analyzing energy consumption. Node.js, with its asynchronous and event-driven architecture, is well-suited for implementing real-time logging functionality. In this blog post, we will explore how Node.js can be used to efficiently log and store energy consumption data in real-time.

Setting up the Environment

Before we begin, make sure you have Node.js installed on your machine. You can check the version by running the command node -v in your terminal.

Creating a Real-time Logging System

To create a real-time logging system, we will use the following components:

Energy Data Sensors: These are devices that collect energy consumption data at regular intervals and send it to the server.
Node.js Server: This server will receive the energy consumption data from the sensors and log it in real-time.
Database: We will use a database (such as MongoDB or MySQL) to store the logged data.

Step 1: Setting up the Node.js Server

Create a new directory for your project and navigate to it in your terminal.
Initialize a new Node.js project by running npm init and following the prompts.
Install the required dependencies by running npm install express socket.io mongoose to install Express.js, Socket.IO, and Mongoose.

Step 2: Creating Data Models

Create a new directory called models.
Inside the models directory, create a file called EnergyData.js.
Define a schema for the energy data using Mongoose. For example:

const mongoose = require('mongoose');

const energyDataSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
  timestamp: { type: Date, default: Date.now },
  consumption: Number
});

module.exports = mongoose.model('EnergyData', energyDataSchema);

Step 3: Handling Incoming Data

Create a new directory called routes.
Inside the routes directory, create a file called api.js.
Import the necessary modules (Express.js, Socket.IO, and Mongoose) and define the router.
Create a route to handle incoming energy consumption data:

const express = require('express');
const router = express.Router();
const EnergyData = require('../models/EnergyData');

router.post('/energy', (req, res) => {
  const { consumption } = req.body;
  
  // Create a new EnergyData instance
  const energyData = new EnergyData({ consumption });

  // Save the data to the database
  energyData.save()
    .then(() => {
      // Broadcast the data to connected clients
      io.emit('energyData', energyData);
      res.sendStatus(200);
    })
    .catch(error => {
      console.error(error);
      res.sendStatus(500);
    });
});

module.exports = router;

Step 4: Displaying Real-time Data

Create a new directory called public.
Inside the public directory, create a file called index.html.
Add the necessary HTML and JavaScript to display the real-time data using Socket.IO.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>Real-time Energy Consumption</title>
  <script src="/socket.io/socket.io.js"></script>
  <script>
    const socket = io();
    socket.on('energyData', data => {
      // Display the energy consumption data in real-time
      document.getElementById('energyData').innerText = data.consumption;
    });
  </script>
</head>
<body>
  <h1>Real-time Energy Consumption</h1>
  <p>Current consumption: <span id="energyData"></span></p>
</body>
</html>

Step 5: Starting the Server

Create a file called server.js in the root directory.
Add the necessary code to start the server using Express.js and Socket.IO.

const express = require('express');
const http = require('http');
const socketIO = require('socket.io');
const mongoose = require('mongoose');
const apiRoutes = require('./routes/api');

const app = express();
const server = http.createServer(app);
const io = socketIO(server);

// Connect to the database
mongoose.connect('mongodb://localhost:27017/energy_management', { useNewUrlParser: true })
  .then(() => console.log('Connected to the database'))
  .catch(error => console.error(error));

// Set up API routes
app.use('/api', apiRoutes);

// Serve the static files
app.use(express.static('public'));

// Start the server
const port = process.env.PORT || 3000;
server.listen(port, () => console.log(`Server running on port ${port}`));

Conclusion

Implementing real-time logging in energy management systems using Node.js is straightforward with the use of technologies like Express.js, Socket.IO, and a database like MongoDB. By collecting and storing energy consumption data in real-time, energy managers can gain valuable insights and take proactive measures to optimize energy usage.

#energymanagement #realtimelogging