Control Archives - agile digital

Exciting product launch for residential and commercial shared spaces

agile digital is proud to announce the launch of the Energy Share Unit.

Proudly developed in South Africa out of a need identified by leading Solar EPC’s and Specialists who found that in high density residential, commercial and industrial spaces it becomes a major challenge to equitably share industrial-sized energy storage solutions.

They found that there are serious risks when constructing and specifying a shared energy storage solution for multiple users. The major risks identified are potential abuse by some tenants and the inability for the solar inverter and battery system to control and reduce loads to a granular level across multiple distinct distribution boards.

Out of this challenge the ESU was born. It provides a novel approach to the distribution network and marries traditional smart metering with powerful control algorithms to ensure a robust solution that is reliable and repeatable. The system was developed to be flexible and can be user-configured to ensure that in a commercial environment anchor tenants who contribute the most towards the shared energy storage system are granted the lion’s share of the resource while still providing smaller users a fair share of the overall capacity.

This process is seamless, and the same algorithms developed for commercial and industrial installations lend themselves extremely well to residential applications.

Please click here and submit your details and we will be glad to help ensure your solar and battery system benefits your users for many years providing reliable and equitable use to all.

Why hasn’t your apartment installed solar yet?

Managing a body corporate in South Africa is no trivial task and trustees are constantly being challenged by owners of a section in scheme.

One of the common demands over the last few years is the deployment of renewable energy generation to assist with immunity from load shedding. However solar panels and inverters alone are insufficient to deal with the issue. Grid-tied inverters, by design, are not able to generate without the presence of the grid and therefore during load shedding all the impressive panels on the shared roof space are unfortunately rendered useless.

Of course, this is where hybrid inverters come into their own which, when paired with batteries are able to see the grid disconnection and continue to supply essential loads through their UPS load functionality.
This is great but what happens when we need to have this UPS function deal with hundreds of individual apartments. Essentially two scenarios are possible with many solar installers and consulting engineers following the first route of having individual inverters and batteries per apartment. While this is logical it loses out in three main areas:

Economies of scale, ie a large inverter (and similarly battery) is always going to be more cost effective than multiple smaller inverters (and batteries in a similar way)
Extremely difficult, if not, impossible to install solar to such multiple numbers of inverters in a practical and neat fashion
Backup support will always be less effective for multiple small inverters and batteries versus large industrial-sized inverters and batteries. Suppliers employ higher skilled technicians and support for their industrial units by their nature.

The other more effective, of the two scenarios is having this large-scale industrial inverter and containerized battery solution which benefits from the points above. However, two distinct disadvantages arise when you have a centralized system such as this:

Potential abuse from one or more tenants with large loads draining batteries while other tenants never get to benefit from their investment in the shared battery.
Complex distribution wiring since the multiple sub-distribution boards in the apartment block need to have their large loads reduced when running on batteries.

At agile digital we have developed a novel solution that integrates smart metering, automation philosophy and real-time analytics to deal with both of these issues. Our Energy Share Unit ensures an equitable share of the battery per apartment so no tenant may abuse the capacity to the detriment of another tenant.

We also ensure real-time load management to reduce the large appliances such as geysers, stoves and air-conditioning which nobody can afford to drain the battery during extended load shedding outages. This is done seamlessly across the entire building. To create visibility for tenants we also provide a mobile friendly chatbot to always update the tenant on how their virtual slice of the large battery is being used and provide some outlook on when they may run out of the battery.

When partnered with a long-term power purchase agreement and installed as part of the initial solar and battery system this provides users with effectively lower costs than their municipal energy tariff whilst having all the benefits of a hybrid solar inverter with storage.

With our solution more tenants will be asking their body corporates why they haven’t moved to solar yet.

August 2, 2023

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) for Renewable Energy

The Internet of Things (IoT) is revolutionizing the way businesses operate, and the solar and building management industries are no exception. The integration of IoT technology can bring numerous benefits to companies in these fields, including improved efficiency, cost savings, and increased customer satisfaction.

Improved Energy Efficiency: One of the most significant benefits of IoT in the solar and building management industries is the ability to monitor and control energy usage in real-time. IoT-connected devices can gather data on energy consumption, weather patterns, and occupancy levels, allowing building managers to optimize energy usage and reduce waste. In a solar energy system, the IoT can monitor and control the performance of solar panels and batteries to ensure they are functioning at their maximum potential. This leads to a more efficient use of energy and significant cost savings.

Cost Savings: By using IoT devices to monitor energy consumption and manage building systems, businesses can reduce their energy costs significantly. IoT devices can also detect and prevent energy waste, helping companies to save money on their energy bills. In addition, IoT technology can help companies reduce maintenance costs by providing real-time monitoring and early warning systems for potential problems. This enables companies to address issues before they become major problems, saving time and money on repairs.

Improved Customer Satisfaction: In the building management industry, IoT technology can help companies provide a better living and working environment for their tenants. IoT-connected devices can be used to control lighting, temperature, and security systems, providing tenants with a comfortable and secure living or working space. In the solar industry, IoT technology can help companies monitor and control the performance of solar panels and batteries, ensuring that customers receive reliable and efficient solar energy.

In conclusion, the Internet of Things can bring numerous benefits to businesses in the solar and building management industries. From improved energy efficiency and cost savings to increased customer satisfaction, IoT technology has the potential to revolutionize the way these industries operate. As IoT technology continues to evolve, companies in the solar and building management industries should consider incorporating it into their operations to stay competitive and provide the best possible service to their customers.

Exciting product launch for residential and commercial shared spaces

Why hasn’t your apartment installed solar yet?

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) for Renewable Energy

Send us your enquiry