Saving Energy Waste (with Use-Cases)

Green IoT & Wireless Smart Sensing Use-Cases

The concept of “Go Green” implies Reducing Wasted Energy and eliminating Excess Cooling.

The most common places where Energy Waste can be seen is in Cooling Systems and in places such as:
Offices - Meeting Rooms - Work Lounges - Halls – Classrooms Malls - Large Shopping Malls - Pharmacy and Drugstores - Laboratories – Hospitals - Cold Rooms - Storage Warehouses - Data Centers - Open Spaces and many others

To be able to dig into hidden issues and make a successful audit, this implies the need for an Innovative Un-Conventional Technique for Monitoring. So smart sensing comes in place:

  

The Smart Temperature Plug-&-Sense Sensors imply Quick Installation (No Drilling / No dust / No Wires) and can be placed at any desired location

  

The Wireless Electrical Power Meters can measure the consumed power per zone and casing no electricity cut

The Goal: Saving Energy Waste and Reducing Operational Expenses

Using smart sensors (Smart Sensing) to adjust cooling as needed in different cooling areas.

Using Internet of Things (IoT) technology for remote monitoring and immediate troubleshooting.

Unlike traditional methods, this technology of Smart Sensing accompanied with IoT can detect hidden problems, such as:

  

Over cooling (التبريد الزائد)

  

Non-uniform cooling (التبريد غير المنتظم)

  

Warm (or hot) areas (مناطق دافئة أو ساخنة)

  

“Cooled air” doesn’t reach desired areas (الهواء البارد لا يصل إلى المناطق المطلوبة)

  

A/C system is not well-designed (نظام تكييف الهواء غير مصمم بشكل جيد)

  

Issues related to A/C parallel operation (مشاكل متعلقة بتشغيل مكيف الهواء بالتوازي)

  

Existing hot-spots due to A/C malfunctions (وجود مناطق ساخنة بسبب أعطال التكييف)

  

Non-Optimum Temperature Set point (درجة حرارة غير مثالية)

  

Airflow blockage (انسداد تدفق الهواء)

  

Poor Insulation (العزل الحراري رديء)

An Automated Phone Call secured a Data Center from Failure during Corona Lock Down [17-April-2020]

During Corona lock down period in Jordan, the HVAC system of a data center for one of our clients malfunctioned all the sudden after midnight.
Temperature started to raise gradually until it reached to the level where it triggered the alert thru an automated phone call with digital voice.
The phone call alerted the off-site engineers to do the corrective action as seen in the pictures.
Phone calls are the best to alert during emergency periods compared to other media: SMS, emails, and WhatsApp.

مكالمة هاتفية أُرسِلت آليَّاً من نظام المراقبة أنقذت مركز بيانات لأحد العملاء من التوقف عن الخدمة خلال فترة الحظر الشامل بسبب كورونا [17-أبريل -2020]

خلال فترة الحجر الشامل في الأردن بسبب كورونا، تعطل نظام التهوية والتكييف الخاص بمركز بيانات أحد عملائنا فجأة بعد منتصف الليل.

بدأت درجة الحرارة في الإرتفاع تدريجيًا حتى وصلت إلى مستوى التنبيه الذي اُرسِل من خلال مكالمة هاتفية آلية بصوت رقمي.

نبهت المكالمة الهاتفية المهندسين خارج الموقع للقيام بالإجراء التصحيحي كما هو موضح في الصور.

المكالمات الهاتفية هي الأفضل للتنبيه خلال فترات الطوارئ مقارنة بالوسائط الأخرى: الرسائل القصيرة ورسائل البريد الإلكتروني والواتس.

Hot Summer revealed the reduced Cooling System Efficiency in a Data Center [May 2020]

This temperature pattern appeared during hot summer and revealed the reduced efficiency of AC Split Units in a Data Center room.
The temperature rise was due to the inefficient thermal isolation of the room and possibly the increased IT load.
The temperature, which clearly increased, was measured at the front of the cabinets to show the actual temperature flowing into the servers. This is indeed better than having few probes hanged from the ceiling (as seen sometimes!) measuring average temperature in the room.

الصيف الحار أظهر إنخفاض كفاءة نظام التبريد في أحد مراكز البيانات [أيار 2020]

نمط درجة الحرارة هذا ظهر خلال الصيف الحار وكشف عن إنخفاض كفاءة التبريد لوحدات تكييف الهواء في غرفة مركز بيانات أحد العملاء.

إرتفاع درجة الحرارة كان نتيجة لقلة كفاءة العزل الحراري للغرفة وربما أيضاً بسبب زيادة الضَّغط على الخوادم.

تم قياس درجة الحرارة، والتي إرتفعت بشكل واضح خلال هذا الوقت، على مقدمة الكبائن لإظهار درجة الحرارة الفعليَّة المتدفِّقة داخل الخوادم. وهذا في الواقع أفضل من إستخدام عدد أقل من حسَّاسات الحرارة المُعلَّقة من السَّقف (كما نُشاهد في بعض الأحيان!) والتي تقيس متوسِّط ​​درجة الحرارة في الغرفة.

Ensuring A/C Units are Switched OFF Outside Working Hours

5x Ducted Split Units in a typical office

Only needed to work during working hours

Before, A/C units were left operational all the time resulting in high Electrical Energy Expenditure at no avail

Saving /month = ~JD1200 ($1700)

Temperature-Controlled A/C Unit Using a Temperature Wireless Sensor (Typical Storage Room)

Example during winter season

A/C is in Heating Mode
Switch ON A/C when Temp <17C
Switch OFF A/C when Temp > 19C

A/C is switched off when not needed as long as temperature of the storage room is within limits

Savings/month = ~JD75 ($100)

Switching OFF A/C Units in Unoccupied Offices

Automatic checking of A/C units in unoccupied offices saves a lot of kWh of Electrical Energy used at no avail

Automatic checking starts after 4pm and is pre-set every 2 hours

Usually A/C units are left working!

Saving/month = ~JD20 ($30)

Controlling the Operation of A/C Units in Open Spaces

Ensuring A/C units in open spaces are well controlled

A/C units in open spaces are mostly the ones which are left without Control! Resulting in high Electrical Energy consumed at no avail

Saving/month = ~JD80 ($120)

Schedulled Switching OFF of A/C Units During Night Shifts

This is a Typical Example for Automatic Scheduling for one Zone (~15 A/C Unit)

Night work in every office ends at different times

Automatic checking every 2 hours ensures switching OFF A/C units when staff is lift

While other A/C units in offices still occupied by staff will run again

Saving/month = ~JD300 ($450)

Integrating Human Presence Detector with Existing A/C Control System

This is a very impressive Example for Automating A/C operation as per human poresence in the office

Unlike traditional IR/US Motion Detectors which can give false No-Presence Indication. The Presence Detector can detect human presence in the office even when Human is in relaxed mode

The Presence Detector readings as per Human Presence in the Office is quite clear showing occupancey > 50% on average

A/C Operation is made off when Human Presence detects no human in the offce

Energy Saving vs. Presence is fantastic

Overall, Expected Savings: 30% ~ 70% which can vary from one office to another