One building and one heat meter

Speaking of savings, mentioning how heat energy is billed is essential. Billing the heat supplier based on the heat meter reading is relatively easy in public buildings. The problem arises in the case of multi-family residential or office buildings, where there is usually one heat meter for the entire building. 

How do you determine how much energy has been used in a particular room, and how do you fairly divide the costs between the different premises occupied by different people or companies? In addition, the energy consumption in common areas such as corridors and stairwells must be taken into account. 

Cost allocators and metered billing

The solutions commonly used by administrators do not ensure a fair allocation of costs in line with actual consumption. The simplest solution is to allocate costs based on the area of occupied premises. Each tenant, regardless of consumption, pays the same per square meter. This is not an incentive to save.

A second popular solution is heat cost allocators (HCA – Heat Cost Allocators) – devices mounted on radiators that count the units needed for heat cost accounting. This solution encourages savings because the less heat we consume, the fewer units will be charged. However, it is not an ideal solution. If our neighbor is very economical and has turned down the radiators, our bills will be overestimated because we “give away” part of the heat to colder rooms and warm up our neighbor through the walls. Premises adjacent to passageways and those on the top floor also need more heat to maintain thermal comfort. 

How do we share heating costs fairly in these situations? 

The concept of thermal comfort – a new approach to accounting for heat consumption

One could, for example, install separate heat meters for each flat. However, this is challenging because there are often several heating risers in one flat, which are shared by several floors. Installing a heat meter at each radiator, on the other hand, is not only technically difficult but also not very financially viable.

Can we do something about this?

A concept for solving this problem has been proposed by Veolia, one of the leading companies in the energy sector. What about billing heat based on thermal comfort, i.e., the temperature maintained in a particular room? This will encourage saving because even the neighbor next door will not do so at our expense if they decide to save too. 

The participants of the recently concluded XXX jubilee scientific and technical symposium “Spring meeting of heating engineers” could see how the concept of thermal comfort works in practice. 

Veolia presented its proposed innovative approach there and, using the example of a project to implement Nexo in one of the buildings of a housing cooperative in Łódź, showed the technical feasibility of its implementation soon, subject, of course, to the consent of the cooperative and the residents.

Nexo is proving to be an excellent tool for implementing this concept. It provides the operation of the thermostatic heads on the premises, collects the necessary data, and enables its presentation in an accessible form. Collecting data from terminal equipment is just a sample of Nexo’s capabilities. To share costs, it is necessary to have information about the building’s energy consumption. Nexo’s modular architecture allows various devices like heat meters to be connected and read. The data is read in real-time, just as the room temperature is monitored in real-time. With this data (and the corresponding algorithms), users receive a real-time forecast of heating costs. This approach allows monitoring of how temperature control in the flat affects savings.

Using an appropriate architecture, Nexo makes it possible to implement many ideas from the IoT area. We will be describing them for you.

The post Fair billing of heat consumption – is it possible? appeared first on ConnectPoint.

I have written about the premise of this project here: We create innovations in the National Centre for Research and Development’s (NCBiR) project “Heat and cold storage”.

How is our project developing? We have a lot of new information to share.

RES power is growing – is it already too much?

It has been a challenging heating season in which everyone – building owners, residents, manufacturers, and supplierscheat suppliers – had to face the real fuel crisis, the massive increase in the cost of electricity and heat production, and, of course, the steep rise in prices for end consumers.

The heat and electricity market situation we have experienced in the last two years has accelerated the development of Poland’s RES sector, especially in photovoltaics, both prosumer and professional PV farms. For political reasons, onshore wind energy has been waiting in the freezer for years. The already noticeable increase in installed RES capacity will inevitably be even more visible.

However, there are limits to the capacity of the electricity system, and with significant investment, it will be easier to exploit the full available potential of RES installations properly. Outages of prosumer installations are not uncommon in many places, but – interestingly – only for the second time in history, precisely on 23.04.2023, we had to deal with the following situation and a formal announcement from PSE (after Gazeta.pl):

“On 23 April 2023, there is an excess of electricity supply over demand in the electricity system. Its cause is the high production of energy by RES sources due to favorable weather conditions, while at the same time, there is a low demand for energy due to the public holiday.” -Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne (PSE) informin a press release. PSE has announced a threat to the security of the electricity supply due to the need to reduce the generation of RES sources connected to the medium voltage. Such a reduction is only possible after the threat has been announced.

At the same time, on 21 April 2023, an equally exciting piece of information could be seen (per energy.RP.pl):

​​“Power generators are subsidising customers for additional energy consumption. The price was minus all day on the Epex Spot exchange in Amsterdam. The maximum fell to minus €739.96 per MWh. All thanks to RES”.​​​

How to make use of surplus power?

The system, therefore, urgently needs to be remodelled, which is currently in place, as we will increasingly see similar messages and the accurate cutting off of RES installations from the system. Or, in the next phase of the billing system change from 1 July 2024, prosumers will sell their surplus energy to the grid for nothing. This is an obvious loss for installation owners.

The only way to eliminate the problems described is to rapidly implement various technologies that allow for the short- and long-term storage of surplus energy production from RES installations. Transferring extra energy production from RES installations to consumption hours through thermal storage is also crucial. This applies, in particular, to photovoltaics. This will make it possible to make greater use of the potential of RES installations or the low price of energy on the market at any given time to produce heat or cold for one’s own needs.

The need to move away from using fossil fuels to heat buildings is indisputable. In addition to the low-emission aspects raised for years, the cost of heat production is now decisive, hence, the rapid growth in sales in the building heat pump segment. Unfortunately, heat pumps undoubtedly have advantages but present challenges for the energy system. Not only because of the significant increase in electricity demand during the winter production deficit from PV but also their operation during the evening peak of hot water consumption.

An impetus for developing storage technologies is undoubtedly provided by ecology, self-sufficiency, or security, understood as more excellent stability and resistance of distributed energy systems to acts of economic terror or war.

ThermOS – our answer to the need for heat storage

We are delighted that the R&D Project we are carrying out is responding to these challenges. We have just completed Phase I of the project, which has produced both designs and physical prototypes of two systems called ThermOS. We are awaiting the results after an external audit, so we have yet to share many details. But right now, we want to present the name and logo of our heat storage system and an eye-pleasing visualisation that is essentially the same as one version of our heat storage.

The ThermOS solution developed by ConnectPoint assumes implementing a two-stage heat storage system, where the commercially known and commonly used internal CO buffers have been supplemented with another ‘stage’ of heat or cold storage. This concept results in a system extended by external heat and cold storage (ZMC), with a capacity many times that of the buffer. This is the Tank Thermal Energy Storage (TTES) type.

Currently, there is a need for this type of equipment on the market, a solution similar to the large above-ground heat accumulators used in district heating systems, obviously on a micro-scale. Such a storage facility, which – according to the concept developed, will be a mass-produced, prefabricated product that is easy to transport and assemble on the property, will make it possible to fill a gap in the market. All the more so as we see also many other potential applications for our warehouse than those indicated in the R&D Project.

But we will write about that soon.

The post Creating innovation in the NCBiR project “Heat and cold storage” – part 2 appeared first on ConnectPoint.

AVEVA PI System for data context 

The AVEVA PI System is a widely used technology for collecting, managing, and analyzing real-time data in various industries. It allows organizations to build data context and gain insights that can help drive growth, optimize processes, and make informed decisions. In the subsequent discussion, we will delve deeper into the AVEVA PI System, exploring its features, benefits, and potential limitations.  

The AVEVA PI System is designed to collect data from different sources, such as sensors, machines, and devices, and organize it into a centralized repository. This allows organizations to monitor their operations in real-time, ensuring that they are aware of any issues as they arise. Additionally, the system can perform complex analytics on the data collected, generating insights that can help organizations optimize their operations, reduce downtime, and enhance productivity.  

The system allows organizations to collect and analyze data and provide context to the data. This means that organizations can understand the relationships between different data points and how they impact each other. This is particularly useful in industrial settings with many moving parts, and it can be challenging to identify the root cause of an issue.   

Another advantage of the AVEVA PI System is its scalability. Depending on the organization’s needs, the system can be easily scaled up or down. This means that organizations can start small and expand the system as their needs grow. Additionally, the AVEVA PI System has a wide range of connectors, allowing it to integrate with different technologies and systems. This means that organizations can easily integrate the system into their existing technology stack, reducing the need for significant changes to their infrastructure.  

However, like any technology, the AVEVA PI System has potential limitations that organizations should be aware of. One of the system’s potential limitations is its limited data modeling capabilities. Although the system excels at handling time-series data, which is prevalent in industrial settings, it may not be suitable for more complex data modeling tasks that involve non-linearly correlated data. This can limit the system’s ability to perform advanced analyses or modeling tasks, potentially reducing its usefulness in some industrial settings.  

Another potential limitation of the AVEVA PI System is its limited machine learning capabilities. The system may need to support advanced algorithms or deep learning models, making it difficult to perform more advanced analysis. This can be a significant disadvantage for organizations leveraging the system.  

Moreover, the system may have limitations regarding integration with other data analytics platforms. This can make it challenging to combine data from multiple sources or use different analytics tools in conjunction with the PI system. As a result, organizations may need help to get a complete view of all the data in an industrial setting, potentially limiting the system’s usefulness.  

Smart RDM for data science  

The Smart RDM platform is an excellent complement to the AVEVA PI system, delivering a suite of functionalities that broaden the scope of data analytics. The platform encompasses a comprehensive analytical module that enables authorized end-users to efficiently manage ETL processes and analyses. Its key features are the ability to manage algorithms available to users, run algorithms with customizable runtime parameters, and configure the launch context to related elements in the resource AF tree. Additionally, the platform offers a scaling mechanism implemented on Kubernetes to ensure each analysis operates in an isolated environment and does not interfere with other scripts’ functioning.  

Furthermore, the Smart RDM platform facilitates the parallelization of calculations, allowing multiple subtasks to be executed simultaneously on several PODs, thus reducing overall task execution time. For large-scale analyses, the platform offers scheduling for the complete set of analyses, ensuring that results from one analysis become input data for the next.  

The Smart RDM platform provides various data export and exchange approaches, depending on the analysis’s objectives and input data type. These include direct integration with PI AF or Parquet files via the Python scripting interface, direct integration with SQL or DataLake, and ETL processes using SSIS packages triggered via the Python scripting interface. Direct integration is primarily used to perform analyses using the PI AF or SQL structure or store results, while ETL processes are mostly used to prepare data for business reporting.  

Additionally, the Smart RDM platform can be integrated with Azure Cloud services such as Azure Synapse to enable the execution of complex data workflows and enable data transformation at scale. The results of the analyses can be saved back in the PI system and visualized on PI Vision dashboards or accessed through external reporting tools like MS Power BI, MS reporting services, Grafana, and Tableau. The Smart RDM platform’s flexibility makes it a versatile solution that provides a comprehensive view of all data in an industrial setting while leveraging the power of the Azure Cloud.

  Summary

The AVEVA PI System is the best technology used in various industries for collecting, managing, and analyzing real-time data. It allows organizations to gain insights and optimize processes by building data context and providing scalability. However, the system has potential limitations, such as limited data modeling and machine learning capabilities and challenges with integration with other data analytics platforms. The Smart RDM platform is a valuable addition to the AVEVA PI System, expanding its capabilities and providing a range of functionalities for efficient ETL processes, analyses, and parallelization of calculations. The platform also offers different data export and exchange approaches, making it a versatile tool for comprehensively viewing all data in an industrial setting. 

The post Beyond Data Context: Enhancing Analytics with Smart RDM Platform while Leveraging AVEVA PI System’s Strengths appeared first on ConnectPoint.

This article aims to provide a systematic guide that commences from data collection to its detailed workflow, analytics, and data visualization. By employing the Smart RDM platform, customers can expedite their data adoption strategy and derive valuable insights based on their data workflows to propel their business growth.

Step 1: Data collection

The initial step, i.e., data collection, holds utmost importance in current business operations as it offers organizations the necessary insights to make informed decisions. The PI System, a real-time data management platform, is extensively employed by industries to accumulate and retain data from diverse sources, including sensors, machines, and production lines.  Although not all the data collected via the PI System is used for analysis, chosen data is uploaded onto cloud storage, where it can be stored alongside data from other applications such as ERP, EAM, and CRM, among others. This storage integrates with the Smart RDM platform, consolidating all the required data.

Step 2: Data visualization and validation

The Smart RDM Platform allows users to visualize and validate raw data, with real-time data readily displayed through PI vision dashboards accessible via the platform. Additionally, users can leverage automated correction processes and a dedicated data edition, validation, and confirmation workflow to ensure accurate and reliable data.

Step 3: Data Analytics

Users can leverage the Cloud Dataflow feature to automate and execute parallel data processing tasks to enhance their data processing capabilities. Google Cloud Storage Bucket can source various file types, which can be uploaded into BigQuery for further processing. Releasing the Power of Data: A Step-by-Step Approach with Smart RDM Platform

Data is a valuable resource that can substantially influence the growth and innovation of businesses. Industries must leverage the power of data to maintain a competitive edge. The Smart RDM platform provides a comprehensive suite of features that can aid organizations in realizing the full potential of their data. By utilizing the AVEVA PI system (former OsiSoft PI System) and other applications as a data source, the platform employs analytical capabilities to convert it into key performance indicators (KPIs), reports, insights, and visualizations in diverse contexts.

This article aims to provide a systematic guide that commences from data collection to its complex workflow, analytics, and data visualization. By employing the Smart RDM platform, customers can expedite their data adoption strategy and derive valuable insights based on their data workflows to propel their business growth.

Step 4: Deeper Data Exploration

Users can perform more sophisticated data exploration based on their requirements using the advanced features of the big data and analysis management module available on the Smart RDM platform. This module allows users to manage algorithms, run algorithms, modify default runtime parameters, and configure the launch context for related elements in the resource tree. Additionally, the platform features a scaling mechanism implemented on Kubernetes to ensure that each analysis runs in an isolated environment without interfering with other script workflows.

Moreover, the Smart RDM platform facilitates the parallelisation of calculations, allowing for the execution of numerous subtasks simultaneously on multiple PODs to reduce the overall task execution time. For extensive analyses, the platform schedules the entire set of analyses, guaranteeing that the results from one analysis become input data for the next.

The outcomes of the analyses can be stored back in the PI system and visualized on PI Vision dashboards or accessed through external reporting tools like MS Power BI, MS reporting services, Grafana, and Tableau. This adaptability makes Smart RDM an adaptable platform that provides a comprehensive view of all data in an industrial setting.

Conclusion

To sum up, the Smart RDM Platform, in conjunction with the PI System and other data source systems or applications, offers customers an opportunity to unleash the potential of their collected data and gain comprehensive insights to enhance their performance. The platform integrates various tools to provide a holistic view of industrial data, including Google Cloud Storage, Big Query, Grafana, Tableau, MS Power BI, and other reporting tools. With its versatility and robustness, the Smart RDM Platform empowers organizations to leverage their data to fuel their business growth and success. To de-normalize and transform the data per specific requirements, with users creating detailed views and tables. Finally, Grafana can be a visualization tool for building robust and powerful dashboards.

The post Releasing the Power of Data: A Step-by-Step Approach with Smart RDM Platform appeared first on ConnectPoint.

Industry 4.0 – what does it stand for?  

Industry 4.0 is all about using technology to automate and optimise manufacturing processes. This includes using sensors, data analytics, and artificial intelligence to monitor, analyse, and optimise the performance of machines and systems in real-time. The data generated from these machines and systems are then used to make data-driven decisions that improve efficiency, reduce downtime, and ultimately increase profitability.  

Industry 5.0 – what does it stand for?  

Industry 5.0 is the next step in the evolution of manufacturing, where the focus is on human-machine collaboration. This involves using technology to augment human capabilities, allowing for more flexibility and creativity in manufacturing processes. In this scenario, data analysis in real-time becomes even more critical, as it enables humans to make informed decisions that optimise the use of technology and improve productivity.  

Real-time data analysis and its impact on processes  

Real-time data analysis is essential in Industry 4.0 and 5.0 because it enables quick and informed decision-making. With the help of real-time data analytics, manufacturers can identify bottlenecks, predict potential issues before they occur, and optimise the performance of machines and systems to improve efficiency and productivity. This saves time and money and ensures that the manufacturing process is running at maximum capacity.  

Real-time data analysis also enables predictive maintenance, which is critical in Industry 4.0 and 5.0. By using predictive maintenance, manufacturers can identify potential issues before they occur and take proactive steps to prevent them. This reduces downtime and prolongs the life of machines and systems, leading to significant cost savings.  

Furthermore, real-time data analysis can be used to improve product quality. By monitoring the manufacturing process in real-time, manufacturers can identify any defects or issues with the product and take corrective action immediately. This ensures that the final product meets the required quality standards and reduces the risk of product recalls, which can be costly and damaging to a company’s reputation.  

The Smart RDM platform – analyse data, and generate insights 

By leveraging technology and digitalisation to optimise manufacturing processes, manufacturers can improve efficiency, productivity, and profitability. Real-time data analysis is the key to making this happen, enabling informed decision-making and predictive maintenance, improving product quality, and reducing downtime. Manufacturers must embrace this digital transformation and invest in the technology and infrastructure for real-time data analysis.   

Smart RDM is a platform designed to help companies achieve this goal by providing real-time data mining and analysis tools. This platform allows manufacturers to integrate data from multiple sources, analyse it in real-time, and generate insights that can be used to optimise production processes.

The post Why is the Smart RDM platform so crucial in concepts of Industry 4.0 and 5.0? appeared first on ConnectPoint.

The need   

The advent of technology and the widespread availability of digital devices have led to the generation of vast amounts of data. This data can be analyzed and utilized to improve business performance, identify new opportunities, and make informed decisions. Real-time data mining and analysis allow businesses to take advantage of this data as soon as it is generated, enabling them to respond quickly to changing market conditions and customer needs.   

Real-time data mining and analysis are essential in industries where rapid decision-making is necessary, such as production and manufacturing. In these industries, real-time data mining and analysis can help improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and provide better customer service. In addition, by analyzing customer data in real-time, businesses can identify customer needs and preferences to respond quickly to customer inquiries and complaints.   

The solution   

Smart RDM stands for Real-time Data mining in the modern production company. It is a concept that involves the use of technology and data management practices to organize, validate, and utilize data effectively. Smart RDM aims to make information more accessible, trustworthy, and usable for business process optimization. To achieve this goal, Smart RDM is organized into six modules: Reports, Data Management and Validation, Process Monitoring and Visualizations, Alarms and Events, CMMS, and Big Data and Analysis Management.   

• The Reports module is designed to provide users access to reports built on the data managed within other Smart RDM modules or processed in external systems. The user can access different information the business administrator provides, including file reports, folder reports (e.g., network drive, Google Drive, OneDrive), Grafana, Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, and MS reporting services. Smart RDM functionality covers report viewing, printing, and exporting, as well as subscription service and information about changes in the report.   
• The Data Management and Validation module requires an AVEVA PI data structure. It helps ensure the quality and accuracy of the data collected or calculated automatically. Based on a predefined form, the user receives a report template supplied with data from source systems. The data can be verified, corrected, and accepted at this stage. All changes are tracked. Accepted data might be published as a pdf report.   
• The Process Monitoring and Visualizations module requires an AVEVA PI data structure. It allows users to display data in real-time in the form of interactive charts and diagrams, and it can be used to monitor various types of data, such as sensor readings, weather data, and financial data. This module is essential for businesses that want to optimize their processes and stay ahead of their competitors.   
• The Alarms and Events module requires an AVEVA PI data structure. It is a powerful combination of features that help users capture, store, find, compare, and analyze important events identified automatically based on the specific conditions related to data values collected in real-time. Smart RDM functionality covers Real-time notifications about system conditions that need particular attention, User actions related to the events handling (according to the predefined workflow), Event-related data editing, adding file attachments to the event, event division, etc., and editing history.   
• The CMMS module tracks and manages user-defined events related to maintenance operations in industries and organizations. CMMS aims to improve maintenance efficiency, reduce downtime and maintenance costs, and provide reliable data on equipment maintenance history. Smart RDM functionality covers notifications, user actions according to predefined workflow, event-related data editing, adding file attachments to the event, event division, and editing history.   
• The Big Data and Analysis Management module provides the management of analyses and ETL processes by authorised end-users.  

Key functionality includes:  

• Managing the algorithms available to users (including the definition of default runtime parameters),  
• Running algorithms with the ability to change default runtime parameters – on demand and scheduled,  
• The possibility of configuring the launch context to related elements in the assets tree (PI Asset Framework integration),  
• The possibility to associate the algorithm results with a specific report position or KPI, monitoring of the execution status.   

Data collected from user operations in Events, CMMS, or Big Data and analysis management modules might be used to create reports shared in the Reports module to provide insights into the business performance and support the decision-making process related to business process optimization. 

The post Smart RDM stands for Real-time Data collection in a production company! appeared first on ConnectPoint.

Smart RDM – version 1.0 

Initially Smart RDM was created as a response to one of our clients’ needs who faced the challenge to manage many different reports created in different systems and applications. We found a way to streamline the process and bring all the reports together in one place. Where possible we’ve used APIs or built custom connectors or scripts to extract data from the different systems and feed it into  reporting S-RDM tool. Smart RDM is integrated with Microsoft BI, SSRS, Tableau, Grafana, Google Drive, Google Storage, Microsoft One Drive, and more. 

A natural consequence of these activities was to build a Big Data and analysis management module to support ETL processes in enterprises. At this stage we could already offer an advanced data management platform that collects and unifies data in one environment, makes it possible to schedule and run analyses and gives the access to reports at the same time.   

Smart RDM – version 2.0 

As more and more customers started using the Smart RDM platform, new challenges emerged. They needed access to all production data in one web application with the possibility of correcting and supplementing data for reporting purposes. Customers wanted something more than an Excel spreadsheet. And also have a good data exchange mechanism with the reporting system. 

To meet these needs, we added integrations with OT systems, that enables industrial companies to collect, manage, and analyze large amounts of real-time data from various sources, to centralize access to production data and reporting tools.  

As a result of integration with AVEVA PI (former OSISoft PI), Smart RDM gained three new modules: 

• Report data management and validation,  
• Process monitoring and visualizations, 
• Alarms and Events. 

Within these modules we have created accordingly: 

• A mechanism for managing data via web forms. This way, users can complete data, correct errors or enter comments. In addition, we have implemented a workflow related to the acceptance and publication of data, taking into account the authorization model. On this basis, the system automatically generates correct reports and sends them to the right recipients. You can read on our blog a series of articles about forms in Smart RDM.   
• A solution that provides comfortable navigation through PI Vision dashboards presenting data from multiple sources. This function allows users to monitor processes and operations in real-time in relation to data presented in web forms. 
• A combination of features that help user capture, store, find, compare and analyze important events: notifications in real-time about conditions in the system that need specific attention, user actions related to the events handling (according to the pre-defined workflow), event related data editing, adding file attachments to the event, event division, editing history.  

In addition we’ve introduced an operator context limiting the information (visualizations, AF forms, events) available to the user to the selected resource(s); at the same time, the user who logged in to a given resource is recorded in the resource’s attributes as an operator on a given shift, which can be the basis for later reporting of users in the shift and machine function. 

For the clients that want to keep all information about planned downtime periods in one place, we’ve implemented CMMS module that supports maintenance management by centralizing all maintenance information and helps optimize the utilization and availability of physical equipment like plant infrastructures and other assets. 

All data in one place! This data can be subject to advanced analyses, e.g. in order to calculate a digital twin, specify various KPIs and generate reports, accessed by the reporting module. 

Smart RDM – version 3.0 

Now while companies need data science to make sense of the vast amount of data they collect, and use the insights gained to improve their products, services, and overall business performance, we started to enhance Smart RMD Big Data and analysis management module to provide insights, that help companies make better decisions. By analyzing data from multiple sources, it is possible to identify patterns and trends that might not be immediately apparent to employees.  

In the nearest future we are planning to change the way in which analysis is  defined in Smart RDM and give more power over calculations performed. This includes: 

• break down the computation into smaller tasks that can be executed independently an parallel, 

• distribute the computation workload across multiple nodes in the Kubernetes cluster, 
• monitor and manage the computation, including scaling up or down the number of replicas based on resource utilization.  

Contact us for more information.  

The post Unlocking the Power of Smart RDM: A brief History and Functionalities Guide appeared first on ConnectPoint.

The user usually starts their adventure with the Smart Home with a single smart socket, light switch, or thermostatic head. To try it out, to see if it’s something for us. In subsequent stages, we add other devices, but this time from other manufacturers. For each ‘gadget,’ we need a different app to operate it. A problem quickly arises because we have several different tools for operating devices from different companies. Each app provides other functionality and has a different interface. The result? A lack of interoperability between devices. 

Does this mean that our idea of a Smart Home is in ruins? Not at all! Nexo comes to the rescue. 

Nexo, the way to a Smart Home 

Nexo is a solution that integrates the operation of various devices in one place. It allows you to manage them, control them and enable cooperation between them. Nexo is not only a convenient option for the end user or, to put it simply, an easy-to-use technology for our homes. It is also an advanced, sophisticated solution for utility providers such as heat or electricity. With Nexo, it is possible to manage resources more efficiently, plan their use and, as a result, save money, which now affects us all and is essential for both energy consumers and suppliers.  

From Smart Home to Smart City  

We already have a record of examples showing that Nexo works well in practice. We have successfully implemented it in Krakow’s kindergartens, generating 20% savings in the heat supply cost. In Leipzig, Nexo assists the energy industry with rational energy management in the Smart City project.  

With Veolia, a leading energy company, we are implementing Nexo in the flats of one of the housing cooperatives in Łódź. We have already written about it on our blog, in article “Optimising energy consumption – a joint project between Veolia and ConnectPoint“.

Follow our blog! In future posts, we will tell you more about Nexo, its capabilities, and how it can help us in various aspects of our daily lives. 

The post Meeting Nexo appeared first on ConnectPoint.

We already have a successful pilot of the solution, carried out in an office building. From December onwards, they will be tested by residents of a block of flats in Lodz. The apartments are equipped with thermostats, controlled remotely via an app (available for smartphones and computers). Users have several convenient options for ‘managing’ the temperature, e.g. setting a uniform temperature level throughout the flat or different values in each room. The app allows both ‘ad hoc’ adjustment of thermostats and planning of their settings (schedule for the day, week, etc.). Facilities also include. the possibility of creating a guest account in the app (so-called visitor account) – e.g. for a tenant who is renting a flat.

Traditional, manual adjustment of thermostats is also possible – the settings synchronise automatically with those stored in the app.

This is what the solution ‘looks like’ from the residents’ side. Its ‘back office’ is the infrastructure we have implemented in the building, i.e. the network that communicates with the thermostats. There is a control gate in each stairwell and devices on each floor to receive the signal from the flats.

Veolia hopes that the new, easy-to-use system will encourage residents to save heat – the effects can be assessed once the heating season is over. For the residents, it is – perhaps – an opportunity for lower bills, for the heat supplier to accurately analyse and plan energy consumption and, in the future, to implement similar systems on a larger scale.

The post Optimising energy consumption – a joint project between Veolia and ConnectPoint appeared first on ConnectPoint.