Meet LEEDS Standards

Challenge:

A system integrator has been asked to design a customized energy management system for a large company that has facilities across the country so that they can meet LEEDS standards. Additionally they want a highly customized user interface and the ability for central control and monitoring.

Solution:

The system integrator incorporated Akida’s wattGAUGE system as a reference design into their proposal. The wattGAUGE system’s ability to provide a comprehensive energy monitoring and control system with remote access and data accumulation offers a functional core for an energy management system. The wattGAUGE system was configured to include a relay board to manage complete circuits and ECUs and e-PLUGs to manage individual equipment. The design team was able to use the wattGAUGE system’s ability to collect data from other devices to incorporate thermostats, motion sensors, light sensors and moisture sensors into their final system. The system’s comprehensive array of components allowed the system integrator to develop a master-system, which could be tailored to fit all of the client’s locations. A Linux platform software was developed to run on the wattGAUGE EMC to collect the appropriate data, analyze it to make automated decisions and relay all information to the company’s corporate network for remote analysis and control. Off the shelf hardware such as touchpad screens and remote controllers were easily configured to communicate with the system’s open communication protocols to provide a user-friendly interface.

Results:

The system integrator saved at least twelve months of engineering time needed to design hardware to perform all the energy metering and control functions. A licensing arrangement was negotiated with Akida to use the wattGAUGE system design as a backbone. The wattGAUGE system’s compact footprint and functional layout resulted in low installation costs and the final system required minimal user training. The system’s standardized communication protocol and ability to integrate into any communication method meant that data could be accessed across existing networks. A highly customized system was developed in a very short time and it delivered cost savings through a high level of energy use controls for a nominal capital investment. The energy data was easily exported into the company’s cost accounting system for analysis and detailed cost controls to improve profitability. This was possible because the hardware produces data in a universally accepted format with no need for decoding software. An automated sequence was created to analyze the power factor data from the system to initiate maintenance alerts so that the equipment was not allowed to reach a state of disrepair where its energy utilization increased.

Conclusion:

The wattGAUGE system provides sophisticated tools for monitoring and controlling energy consumption in a functional and cost effective architecture.