CHALLENGES OF THE ENERGY MANAGEMENT PROJECTS
The first step in the development of energy management systems is to implement a metering and data collection system. Since in most cases, manufacturing plants and facilities will have devices from different manufacturers installed, it is advisable to choose a data collection device that can integrate these devices into one system. This requires the support of different protocols (Modbus, OPC UA, MQTT, REST API, etc.) and the ability to integrate custom protocols. The Xserver.IoT.200 was developed with these requirements in mind.
Another very important aspect for physical installation is the ease of installation in different types of distribution cabinets, the Xserver.IoT.200 can be snapped onto a hat rail, so, for example, it can be easily installed in Rittal or Schneider Electric Prisma (maskable) distribution cabinets.. Xserver.IoT.200 accepts a wide power supply range and is able to effectively handle substantial amounts of ripple, noise and supply voltage fluctuations.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
According to surveys conducted with our partners, more than 70% of energy management systems are commissioned by people with technical qualifications (most often electrical engineers), so ease of configuration is a key factor.
That's why we developed IoT Explorer, an application that makes configuring IoT servers easy and quick. From our partners we interviewed, we received feedback that in more than 90% of their projects they install the same type of manufacturer's equipment, as they usually use equipment from one or a few suppliers.
THE ARCHITECTURE
For these reasons, the architecture of their systems is very similar, therefore we put a strong emphasis on creating templates and implementing tools to support project reuse in the IoT Explorer application. And at the end of the project, it is important to create the right documentation, which is also supported by the application (by one click).
The aspects above will greatly reduce the time needed to complete projects. Based on feedback from partners, field implementation is often time-consuming (e.g. shutdowns required to install the meter), with frequent delays, which in most cases software work tries to make up for, putting a lot of pressure on software commissioning employees, hence the quick and easy configurability and the possibility to reuse solutions are important from this reason as well.
SECURITY
Nowadays, IT Security is a key concern, as attacks against energy systems (blocking their operation or taking control of them from outside) are becoming more frequent. In the case of IoT Server 200, these requirements have been taken into account to the maximum, the system is based on the Linux operating system with a built-in firewall and brute-force attack protection.
The firmware of the IoT server is designed to prevent unauthorised code from running remotely. A high level of data encryption was a priority, so a built-in security chip can support these needs. The communication takes place over SSH or HTTPS, where critical data is encrypted separately using AES-256. The IoT server is Microsoft Azure Certified. We pay special attention to continuous and long-term product support, so our products always meet the latest software and security requirements.
WITH USERS IN MIND
Based on feedback from our partners, they typically use one or two energy management software solutions, so it is of paramount importance that our product integration is implemented. That's why we use open protocols and interfaces for our IoT server software solutions, as well as additional modules, so the Schneider Electric Struxureware PME, KONsys - AVReporter or Dexma systems can be easily connected.
Our surveys show that for over 80% of end users, data loss is critical:
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because they need the data to maintain ongoing energy efficiency
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energy security can only be ensured through continuous monitoring
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the continuously available data are required for the ever-stricter authority requirements and data provision.
Our IoT servers try to minimise the occurrence of data loss by having built-in Onboard Storage, so that in the event of a breakdown in upstream communications, they can temporarily store data (this storage has a capacity of several weeks).
According to a joint survey with end-users, most of the problems are in the internal IT network, and the causes are:
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network overload
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IP conflict or configuration problem
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network maintenance
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network device failure
Communication problems are much less common among field devices, for the following reasons: these devices are usually located in closed distribution cabinets and locations, very rarely modified because they are located at the point of entry to the power supply, so voltage drop is minimal, clean, dust-free and well air-conditioned rooms.