Single appliance automatic recognition: comparison of classifiers

Measuring and recording systems for the consumption of electrical energy which are connected to households, are essential in the optimization of energy use. Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) is one of the most used techniques in the study of electrical consumption; these systems are based on the analysis of the load curve (the aggregated electrical consumption of the whole household). Thanks to a significant reduction in the price of sensors and sensor systems in recent years, it is possible to individually monitor each one of the devices connected to the grid. In this paper we compare different classifiers in order to find out which is the most appropriate for the identification of individual appliances attending to their consumption. In this way, we will know which electrical appliance is connected to a smart plug, helping to obtain more accurate and efficient load monitoring systems.