IoT in energy
IoT applications in the energy sector
Implementing connected technology through the use of machine to machine communication has an array of benefits for businesses operating within energy.
Reduced wastage
Better intelligence & analytics
Improved profitability
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IoT in energy: how the Internet of Things is being used to manage energy resources
IoT technology can be used for various applications in the energy sector such as real-time data monitoring and managing of electricity consumption, tracking and managing renewable energy resources, optimising power grid operations, and managing electric vehicle charging.
The benefits of the IoT in energy production
The Internet of Things, or IoT, is having a profound impact on the energy sector. By connecting devices and systems to the internet, energy companies are able to improve efficiency, lower costs, and provide better service to their customers.
Process automation
As technology has advanced, more and more processes can be automated delivering greater reliability and consistency, reducing margin for error and wastage.
Grid asset maintenance
One of the most significant benefits of the IoT is improved asset management. In the past, energy companies have been reliant on manual inspection and maintenance of their equipment. This has led to inefficiencies and costly downtime when problems arise. With the IoT, energy companies can now monitor their equipment in real-time, identify issues before they become major problems, and schedule maintenance accordingly. This results in lower costs and increased uptime for critical equipment.
Energy optimisation and load balancing
By collecting data on demand and identifying energy consumption patterns, energy providers can efficiently manage their workloads and infrastructure. This way they’re not over manufacturing energy, reducing storage costs and energy waste. Likewise, companies can ensure that they are manufacturing enough to meet their customers’ demands and deliver good customer service.
Reduce Operational Expenses
Reducing operational costs is one of the benefits of deploying IoT within energy production. Monitoring your devices remotely means less physical staff are active at one time. And by keeping on top of your maintenance requirements (and being pre-alerted to required repairs), downtime is kept at an absolute minimum and staff overhead is managed more effectively.
Regulation compliance
Energy companies use IoT devices to monitor the energy usage of their daily operations. These organisations then analyse this data to ensure that they comply with current environmental laws. IoT management software allows companies to ensure they meet regulations in order to achieve industry certifications and benefit from incentives.
Improved customer service and reporting
By monitoring the supply chain, the grid and having access to detailed analytics, energy producers are able to deliver real time information to their end-users. They can be alerted to issues immediately and are able to rake remedial action before it impacts their customers.
It’s important to remember that it’s not just energy producers that can benefit from the deployment of IoT. There are also a wide range of products delivering fantastic benefits for end users looking to improve efficiency within their very own smart homes.
One example of how IoT is being used in the energy sector is through smart meters. Smart thermostats are digital devices that replace traditional analogue electricity meters. They allow consumers (and energy suppliers) to track their electricity consumption in real-time and receive alerts when their usage exceeds a certain threshold.
This not only enables owners to manage their energy consumption through actionable insights, such as turning down the thermostat a few degrees and having full visibility of their energy bills, this can encourage individuals to use energy more responsibly.
It’s now very easy for consumers to purchase IoT-enabled lights. This means that they can be controlled remotely from a mobile phone, tablet or computer. The benefits of smart lighting is that they can be instructed to be turned on or off at specific times and can be remotely enabled/disabled to reduce wastage when someone forgets to flick a light switch off.
It’s possible to turn non smart devices into connected devices using smart plugs. These smart plugs are just like a travel adapter and connect in between a wall outlet and the power cable for your traditional electrical device. By implementing a smart plug, your devices can be operated remotely, allowing you to turn your electric radiator on when you set off home (so that it isn’t left switched on all day) etc.
Industries that will benefit
Smart energy can power smart industries
Efficiently managing energy is a win-win for all parties. Industries such as smart agriculture and smart cities, where the demand for energy is high but can be made more efficient through effective deployment of IoT technology, are always on the lookout for new technologies to enhance efficiency. And as more of these technologies emerge, productivity and sustainability will begin to work hand in hand.
E-mobility
As e-mobility grows in popularity, the demand for increased energy to power electric vehicles continues to rise. Given this increase in demand, it’s critical that energy manufacturers are able to improve how efficiently they produce and store energy, IoT is the solution to this problem.
The future of IoT in energy: continued growth and development
The energy sector is already beginning to harness the power of the IoT. For example, utilities are using smart meters to collect data on electricity usage, which helps them to improve grid management and identify areas for efficiency improvements. In the future, the IoT will enable even more transformative applications in the energy sector.
For example, the IoT Sims could be used to create virtual power plants that could provide backup power during times of peak demand or when traditional power plants are offline for maintenance. The IoT could also be used to manage electric vehicle charging so that it doesn’t overload the grid.
If you’re looking to implement IoT technology within your organisation whether you’re in energy sector or not, InfiSIM’s M2M SIMs enable unrivalled connectivity, allowing you to reliably connect to any device, from anywhere in the world. Book a free no obligation consultation with one of our M2M SIM experts. We’ll talk you through every detail and even provide you with a free 30-day trial so you can experience how good our IoT SIMs are. After initial deployment, we’ll help you scale to meet your business objectives.