IoT: Benefits
The advantages of Tera’s IoT approach
Tera’s solutions, classifiable as “IoT” (Internet of Things), are used by companies and for many applications (manufacturing, agri-food, logistics, agriculture and buildings in general) to get benefits in terms of:
- Energy efficiency (saving energy, identifying wastes and changing people’s behavior and machine settings, by continuously monitoring absorption on different lines, loads, machinery)
- Preventive and Predictive Maintenance (reduce management times and costs in maintenance activities, identifying possible failures in advance, anticipating some extraordinary maintenance and better scheduling ordinary ones, through continuous monitoring of energy consumption and process parameters – temperatures, gas, condition of machinery, etc. ..)
- Process efficiency (speed up processes and / or reduce machine / operator costs, identifying downtime and waste of machine time / operator time, parameters out of range and other specific process criticalities, through continuous monitoring)
- Product Quality (improve product quality by identifying out-of-range parameters, defects and other specific process criticalities, through continuous monitoring)
- Safety of buildings, systems and indoor operators (increase safety standards, reduce accidents by promptly identifying out-of-range parameters and anomalous conditions of machines, rooms, systems and environments through continuous monitoring)
- Process automation (reduce process costs and times by correctly setting the automation rules for machinery and individual actuators / switches through continuous monitoring and data analysis)
- Accuracy of Industrial Accounting (correctly identify the costs to be attributed to individual and different products through detailed continuous monitoring and data analysis)
IoT for Energy
Energy Efficiency
According to the ISO 50001 standard, through the so-called PDCA model:
Plan – Do – Check – Act, Tera era has designed an architecture to ensure maximum modularity and scalability of its systems. Starting from basic solutions providing simple monitoring for Awareness and basic KPI, to the complete solutions including a Decision Support System (DSS) and a final automation phase.
IoT Opensource
An open architecture
All Tera solutions are modular, scalable and upgradeable and can be extended to new environments or systems. The architecture consists of:
- multi-protocol edge computers (GIoE and Beeta™), designed and produced by Tera
- multi-protocol and multi-brand devices (sensors / actuators)
- opensource software and Web, Cloud based services, also available via App
Simple, Scalable and Integrable
Free choice of devices
Sensors and actuators are freely available on the market at the best cost / performance ratio.
Easy first installation
The absence of any proprietary protocols allows the use of the most suitable one (also wireless) depending on the type of building and infrastructure.
Simplified upgrades and updates
The multi-brand devices are interchangeable and allow easy management of improvements and upgrades being connected to an “open multi-protocol control unit” which replaces the PLC.
Saving Energy with the Iot approach
The monitoring of overall consumption represents the first step, fundamental for the development of any subsequent action aimed at saving energy. However, it is not sufficient to maximize the investments of EEB (Energy Efficiency of Buildings) and its effectiveness is therefore limited.
Through direct engagement with the user, the system provides Tips & Tricks or advice and suggestions useful for identifying the most correct behaviors, the optimal tariff profiles to be adopted and the machinery / devices to be repaired / replaced.
With Decision Supporting Systems / DSS, returns on investment are maximized, adapting the system to user behavior in order to obtain the maximum in terms of savings and environmental comfort.
How we apply IoT to energy efficiency
Support in the analysis of the process (in synergy with the user / customer and / or his consultants)
Positioning of sensors / actuators and installation of multi-protocol IoT gateways (GIoE and BEETA di Tera)
Basic data analysis included (or customized on request); available extension (also independently) by third parties
Selection of sensors / actuators (parameters to be monitored, process constraints, compliance, radio protocols)
Data collection and sending to cloud servers / platforms (smart IoT protocols; Tera or user Cloud)
Technological integration with existing platforms (MES, CRM, BEMS, etc.) in collaboration with partners, Test, validation, roll-out
