Solar self-consumption in a supermarket

/in , , , , , , /by

When we face a large solar energy self-consumption installation, the main challenge for its success is to be able to monitor all its devices and to act on them to achieve what we call “zero injection”. This case study consists on controlling the installation by sizing the energy production to fully supply the building (in this case a large supermarket) without suffering an excess of energy that must be poured into the electricity grid.

Device: WebdynsunPM, industrial gateway for Solar Energy

Platform: Any Solar Energy platform

In this kind of large-scale installations, it is especially important to be able to independently read any inverter brand and to communicate with them in order to size the energy production to achieve “zero injection” if necessary. It is also important to be able to control as many inverters as possible, which will allow us to reduce costs. In addition, the installation sensors and the submetering meter should also be monitored with the same connectivity equipment. Finally, it is also important that the information collected by our communication and control devices can communicate in a transparent way with any Solar Energy control platform.

In order to meet these requirements, our proposal for this kind of facility is the WebdynSun PM gateway specialized in Solar Energy. Thanks to its features, all the data from a solar installation can be monitored with a single device.

  • Through its digital or analog inputs it can measure the records of the environmental sensors (temperature, sunlight intensity, wind speed…).
  • Thanks to its modbus interface it can communicate, with a single gateway, with up to 100 inverters of the main brands on the market.
  • Being specialized in Solar Energy, the WebdynSun PM model allows to act on the inverters in case of energy overproduction to avoid injection into the grid and thus achieving “zero injection”.
  • Through its RS485 modbus inputs we can obtain the submetering counter readings.
  • It works independently with any end platform on the market, without the need to change the installation depending on the management company.

By having the entire installation monitored through a single gateway, its management is simplified and costs are reduced. Furthermore, as it is a device that works independently with the main inverter and end-platform brands, the profitability of the equipment is maximized by not having to change it depending on the different elements of the solution.

Water Monitoring in Rural Environments

/in , /by

When it comes to getting the most out of an agricultural facility, one of the main challenges is to be able to monitor and control them remotely, being able to obtain all the information on water quality as well as being able to control consumption and act, remotely, about the water pumps. This challenge becomes even greater if we take into account that some of the facilities will be in poor coverage environments, which is why a solution that provides connectivity security is essential in order to reduce travel, thus increasing the efficiency of the facility.

Device: MTX-Router-EOS, compact industrial IoT router with LTE, dual SIM and 3x Ethernet

Platform: Cervello Stem IoT Platform

The rural water monitoring project is usually made up of several elements. The first of these is the installation itself, which has different sensors that allow controlling water quality (conductivity, PH, temperature, etc.), consumption (flow, pressure, etc.) and a pump that works by extracting water when be necessary. On the other hand, an element is necessary that provides connectivity to the installation and that allows, remotely, to access all this information and act, if necessary, on the water pump. Finally, the last and essential element is an IoT platform where all data can be received and from where actions can be carried out on the devices of the set both automatically and manually. In the case study in which we find ourselves, we will solve these last two elements.

In order to provide connectivity to the installation, we must bear in mind that it is made up of various sensors and a water pump, all of them connected to a PLC which is the one that gathers all the information and allows action on the water pump. This PLC usually has an Ethernet output through which all data can be obtained. We must also take into account the special coverage and connectivity conditions that the facilities may have. Not surprisingly, these are installations in rural settings where coverage is poor or frequently fails. To solve all these requirements, the most suitable device would be an MTX-Router-EOS, since it has three Ethernet inputs (being able to connect up to three PLCs with the same device) and LTE/4G connectivity, in addition to dual SIM (being able if necessary, to use two SIM cards from different operators to ensure connectivity in case of coverage failure). On the other hand, in rural environments or locations with little coverage, it is appropriate to use special antennas that allow the weak available LTE/4G radio frequency signals to be amplified to the maximum. In these cases, the use of high gain omnidirectional fiberglass antennas or directional antennas of the panel or yagi type is suitable.

Finally, the Cervello Stem IoT platform allows the information received from the PLC to be received, stored and displayed on different dashboards (with tables and graphs). In addition, Cervello can send commands and setting parameters to the PLC, being able to act remotely on the operation of the water pump. All of this two-way communication is done through the MTX-Router-EOS.

Thanks to this solution, based on an MTX device with LTE/4G connectivity and three Ethernet interfaces, which also provides reliable connectivity with its dual SIM and the use of an external high-gain LTE/4G omnidirectional antenna, monitoring and water management in rural settings is much simpler and, above all, efficient. Thanks to IoT technology, trips to remote facilities in rural settings are avoided, facilitating their management and reducing maintenance and operating costs.

Speed ​​cameras and traffic management

/in , /by

When we talk about traffic management in large cities and the road network, it is essential to be able to have remote access to three basic elements: speed cameras, traffic cameras to monitoring the state of the roads and management of LED information panels in real time. To control all this, it is important to ensure that connectivity is not lost, ensuring maximum reliability and speed in data transmission that allow quickly and safely access to all the information from the cameras and speed cameras while controlling the messages displayed on the LED information panel.

Device: MTX-Router-EOS, compact industrial IoT router with LTE, dual SIM and 3x Ethernet

Platform: platform of the integrator

The traffic management application we are faced with has very clear requirements. Speed ​​cameras have Ethernet connectivity. Also via Ethernet, the IP cameras are connected that allow monitoring the state of the roads in real time. On their part, the informational LED panels can have both Ethernet and serial port connectivity. In addition, the need for a reliable connectivity makes it essential that the selected connectivity device has dual SIM in order to have a second LTE/4G connectivity option in case of failure of the first. Because of this, we need a basic router that has at least three Ethernet ports, as well as an RS232 serial port and dual SIM with LTE/4G connectivity. In addition, the selected equipment must have a wide operating temperature range to be able to work both in cold environments and in the sun during summer.

Due to these requirements, the most recommended MTX equipment is the MTX-Router-EOS, an Entry Level router with basic features and an adjusted price, which provides all the requirements needed.

The MTX-Router-EOS has three Ethernet connectors, allowing the connection of up to three Ethernet devices, which can be any combination of speed cameras, IP cameras and information panels. Furthermore, if the information panel has an RS232 serial interface, it could also be connected that way, freeing up one of the Ethernet ports for another device. In short, infinite solutions in a single router with a reasonable price. In addition, thanks to its dual SIM it has a high tolerance to network failures because two SIM cards can be inserted so that in the event of a network failure, one of them automatically connects through the other to be able to send or receive the panel updates information. This is of special interest in a traffic management environment in which the installations are not always at locations with good coverage. Furthermore, the MTX-Router-EOS has an industrial temperature range that ranges from -35ºC to + 75ºC, allowing its correct operation in extreme weather situations.

Communication between the connected devices and the traffic management platform is carried out in a transparent manner, sending the data frames as they are generated, ensuring the integrity and quality of the information.

The MTX-Router-EOS is an entry-level industrial router with a reasonable price that offers industrial benefits and great reliability for IoT solutions that need a fast and secure transmission of information in a transparent way. It has a very compact design with a very resistant case and accessories to mount on a DIN rail. It has dual SIM, 3x Ethernet, VPN client and 3 antennas included (another for optional GPS).

Monitoring of Solar Installations for Self-Supply

/in , , , /by

The upward trend of renewable energiy does not stop, especially when we talk about solar energy applied to self-supply both in private homes and, especially, in an industrial environment. Thanks to the installation of solar panels for self-supply, homes and industries can achieve economic savings and an ecological footprint.
This kind of installation consists of one or several solar panels connected to one or more current inverters, which in turn pour the energy obtained into batteries for the user’s electrical network and the company’s electrical network (surplus). For proper monitoring of both, the status of the devices and the consumption and energy generated, a communication equipment is essential so it receives the data from the inverters and send it to the cloud so the pertinent IoT platform can analize it. This is especially relevant in industrial environment solar installations, where fail-proof LTE/4G connectivity is required.

Device: MTX-Router-EOS, industrial IoT compact router with LTE, dual SIM and 3x Ethernet

Platform: Platform integrator’s property

The renewable energy solution for self-supply requires constant monitoring of the installed devices, as well as the absolute control of the energy produced, the consumption and the surplus that is discharged into the general electrical network. To do this, each inverter in the installation is connected via Ethernet to a simple communication device that transparently transmits the information received to the cloud, where a proprietary platform of the integrator analyzes the data obtained and displays the information directly to the customer. To reduce costs it is important to be able to connect more than one inverter to the same communication device. Since these installations are not always in urban environments, maximum security in LTE/4G connectivity is essential, to avoid the interruption of the data flow.
Due to these requirements, the most recommended MTX equipment is the MTX-Router-EOS, an entry level router with basic features and affordable price, that provides all the requirements of the project.

The MTX-Router-EOS has three Ethernet connectors, which allow three different inverters to be connected to the same router, which in turn obtains energy from several solar panels. Thanks to the communication between the inverter and the router, it is possible to obtain differentiated information on the status of each of the solar panels and the inverter itself, as well as the data on the obtained energy, the consumption and the surplus. In addition, thanks to its dual SIM it has a high tolerance to network failures due to the fact that two SIM cards can be inserted so that in the event of a network failure, one of them is automatically connected through the other in order to keep sending the information. This is especially interesting in industrial and rural environments where the state of the network can be less than appropriate.
Communication between the inverters and the integrator’s platform is carried out in a transparent way, sending data frames as generated by the inverter, ensuring the integrity and quality of the information.
The MTX-Router-EOS offers industrial benefits and great reliability for IoT solutions which require a fast and secure transmission of information in a transparent way. It has a very compact design with a very resistant case and the necessary accessories to be mounted on a DIN rail. It has dual SIM, 3x Ethernet, VPN client and 3x antennas included (plus a forth for optional GPS).