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Energy management systems: Growing more critical by the minute

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siemens ems
Energy management systems are becoming increasingly important as power becomes more expensive. Picture courtesy of Siemens

An energy management system is a set of computer-based tools used to optimise the production and consumption of power. 

Generally speaking, EMS applications are found in the power-generation sector, in utilities, but they are becoming increasingly important in industrial operations large and small.

Additionally, they are being installed for the home, along with smart meters connected to smart grids. This market will become increasingly important as consumers use a greater number of electrical devices and appliances, including power-hungry ones like electric cars.  [Read more…] about Energy management systems: Growing more critical by the minute

Hannover Messe: Making use of energy management systems

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power lines

Get your complementary ticket to Hannover Messe before they’re all gone – limited number

There is no question that energy is costly. Costs for this resource have quadrupled since 2000, according to the German Energy Agency, with the planned energy transition also contributing to this trend.

This development hits business particularly hard. Industry, trade and services account for some 45 percent of total energy consumption in Germany.

So efficient use of this resource makes economic sense, as well as being an environmental imperative. The German Energy Agency estimates that companies could reduce their energy needs by 30 percent using standard efficiency measures.  [Read more…] about Hannover Messe: Making use of energy management systems

Nortek Security ships 1 millionth Z-Wave home automation device

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nortek

Milestone covers broad portfolio of lighting, control and security devices, says company

Nortek Security & Control says it has passed the shipment of their 1 millionth Z-Wave smart home device under its GoControl brand.

Nrotek is a provider of smart home technologies with a wide range of products for lighting, control and security.

Nortek says its GoControl products are consistently listed as best sellers on Amazon.com and are also the products of choice by many security dealers. [Read more…] about Nortek Security ships 1 millionth Z-Wave home automation device

Smart buildings: Delta says it saved a lot of money for Telecom Italia

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telecom italia building

Delta says its smart building automation solutions delivered “substantial energy savings” for Telecom Italia’s office building in the Veneto Region of Italy

Delta, which calls itself “a global leader in power and thermal management solutions”, says it has successfully implemented its Building Automation Solutions at an office site of Telecom Italia, Italy’s largest telecom operator and one of the most prominent carriers in Europe.

The smart solution, which includes Delta’s cloud-ready Building Energy Management System, enables real-time automated and remote supervision and eco-friendly control of the building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system to attain estimated annual HVAC-related electricity savings of more than 12 per cent and an expected payback period of “lower than two years”, according to Delta.  [Read more…] about Smart buildings: Delta says it saved a lot of money for Telecom Italia

Consortium of car companies to build massive power network for electric vehicles

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A consortium of companies which includes some of the leading automakers has agreed to build what they say will be an “ultra-fast, high-power” charging network along major highways in Europe. 

The joint venture includes BMW, Daimler, Ford, and Volkswagen, which owns the Audi and Porsche brands.

The group says it will build a direct current network of approximately 400 charging points for battery electric vehicles.

In a joint statement, the consortium says this is an “important step” towards facilitating mass-market battery electric vehicle adoption.

The network itself will be based on the Combined Charging System standard technology, and will expand the existing electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Europe.

Individual charging points will enable motorists to use DC current to fast-charge their vehicles with 350 kW of power, say the companies.

At the moment, the country with the highest number of charging points is the United States, followed by the Netherlands and Germany.

This is according to OpenChargeMap.org, which says there are approximately 80,000 charging stations across more than 40,000 locations around the world.

There will be data: Exclusive interview with Honeywell UOP cloud boss

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The oil and gas industry is the lifeblood and oxygen of the modern world. It produces the stuff that powers the power stations, providing the energy on which we all depend if we live in a country with even a moderate infrastructure. 

Much as we’d all like to live on fresh air, and run our iMachines on the light that shines in through our windows, the harsh reality is that the dirty and dangerous business of fossil fuels is still the biggest generator of energy in the world today.

No developed or developing economy on Earth can do without oil and gas, and no oil and gas plant can do without systems to prevent downtime. Every second of unscheduled downtime can cost the oil and gas company millions of dollars. Not only that, the secondary effects on all the businesses connected to the oil and gas company’s supply lines – which basically permeate the whole of society – could be devastating to a nation’s economy and wellbeing if those seconds turn into minutes, hours or days.  [Read more…] about There will be data: Exclusive interview with Honeywell UOP cloud boss