Industrial energy monitoring
An Energy Management Information System (EMIS) gives Canadian factory teams a shared view of electricity use. Follow demand through production and idle hours, then check what changes after an adjustment.
From site visit to ongoing review
v2-1- 01
Walk the facility with our team and show us the electricity demand you want to understand.
- 02
Review the main incomer and the feeds that need separate energy readings.
- 03
Agree access, gateway placement and the installation sequence around your operating schedule.
- 04
Connect the instruments and bring the agreed readings into the dashboard.
- 05
Review the baseline together, then agree alert conditions, recipients and reports.
- 06
We stay on to review readings with your team and follow what changes after adjustments or repairs.
What we install
We connect compatible electricity meters and add metering to selected feeds. Submetering separates the main incoming demand into the processes and equipment your team needs to manage.
Our wireless sensors send readings through 900 MHz radios, including Digi XBee, to a site gateway. The gateway connects those readings to your centralized dashboard.
We check instrument outputs, access and the wireless path during the site visit. Together, we agree the monitoring points, gateway connection and installation sequence around your operating schedule.
What to have ready
v2-2- Arrange meter-room access with the colleague responsible for electrical work.
- Show us a mains outlet for the gateway near the proposed installation point.
- Walk the proposed antenna positions with us so we can check the wireless path.
- Include someone who knows equipment schedules and energy use across shifts.
- Gather meter models, enabled outputs and details of the feeds your team wants to compare.
- Bring production counts when the project includes comparing energy per unit of output.
The gateway can use a separate cellular connection and buffer readings locally during an internet interruption. We agree the connection with your team.
Can we use what is already there?
v2-3We check the instrument model, enabled output and measurement unit before specifying a connection. The rows below show what to bring to that discussion.
| Output or reading | What we connect | Typical example or check |
|---|---|---|
| Pulse | A counter matched to the meter’s pulse output. | Confirm the pulse weight and the detail needed at low use. |
| Modbus | A compatible read-only connection to the available readings. | Confirm the available values and their units with the controls contact. |
| 4-20 mA | An input matched to the instrument’s output range. | Confirm what the signal measures and how its range maps to the displayed unit. |
Find the night baseline
The main meter shows the total. Submeter readings show which loads remain when production ends.
An alert prompts a schedule check
- Production load
- Ventilation load
- Other measured loads
- Production period
- Idle period
- Night baseline
What your team sees
v2-4Your team sees incoming electrical demand beside the night baseline and can review whether the expected overnight reduction appears.
| Interval | Main incomer (kW) |
|---|---|
| 18:00 | 227 |
| 18:30 | 227 |
| 19:00 | 227 |
| 19:30 | 219 |
| 20:00 | 210 |
| 20:30 | 211 |
| 21:00 | 210 |
| 21:30 | 198 |
| 22:00 | 175 |
| 22:30 | 181 |
| 23:00 | 171 |
| 23:30 | 175 |
| 00:00 | 171 |
| 00:30 | 175 |
| 01:00 | 175 |
| 01:30 | 174 |
| 02:00 | 171 |
| 02:30 | 170 |
| 03:00 | 171 |
| 03:30 | 173 |
| 04:00 | 171 |
| 04:30 | 173 |
| 05:00 | 145 |
| 05:30 | 158 |
What your team gets
You get a live dashboard for electrical demand and energy use, with a recorded baseline for operating and idle periods. That record gives your energy management work a way to check the effect of schedule and equipment changes.
We configure alerts to phones and email around the conditions your team needs to know about. You choose the recipients, operating schedule and response to each alert.
Reports give your team a record to review alongside operating changes. Our team stays involved after installation to review the readings and adjust the monitoring as your needs change.
Who acts on an alert?
v2-5Use these examples to agree the trigger, the people to notify and the first check. Our team reviews your builder request before configuring the monitoring. Select the device and unit for your facility in the builder.
Equipment runs on the weekend
Trigger: Equipment demand stays above the agreed threshold during the selected weekend hours. Notify: The operations contact who knows the equipment schedule. First check: Check the operating schedule and equipment state. The recipe starts with compressor power; select the equipment you want to monitor.
Night demand stays high
Trigger: Demand stays above the agreed night threshold through the selected hold time. Notify: The facilities contact responsible for the setback schedule. First check: Compare the actual demand trace with the setback schedule. Adapt the weekend recipe’s device and active hours to this night check.
An electricity reading stops reporting
Trigger: The selected sensor stays inactive beyond the agreed interval. Notify: The monitoring contact your team chooses. First check: Check device power, batteries and the radio path.
Case studies
The setback case follows an overnight load reduction. The benchmarking case compares energy per unit across comparable factories; its difference is an investigation starting point.
Energy & electricityBulk Handling & Rail Logistics
Night setback that never happened
A distribution warehouse
The overnight setback had silently stopped working, and it was worth about a third of the load.
~35%of overnight electrical load
Energy & electricityManufacturing: automotive, plastics & rubber
Three factories, one unit of production, one outlier
A manufacturer with three factories
Same product, same equipment, and one factory used about 40% more energy per unit.
~40%more energy per unit
Plan the next step
- Electricity meter buying guide
- Electricity cost calculator
- Start a weekend-running alert
The weekend-running recipe starts with a compressor power reading. Adapt the equipment and condition to your facility before sending the request.
- How alerts work
Funding to review with your team
v2-6Your location and project scope determine which programmes are relevant. We help define the measurements and assist with paperwork alongside your team.
Save on Energy: Expanded Energy Management Program (SEM / Energy Manager / EMIS)
IESO (Independent Electricity System Operator), Ontario
For industrial facilities in Ontario, review support for an energy manager, coaching and an Energy Management Information System (EMIS).
BC Hydro: Industrial Strategic Energy Management (Energy Manager, Cohort, Regional EM)
BC Hydro
For BC Hydro industrial customers, review the energy management options against the facility’s consumption and project needs.
Read before the site visit
v2-8Read about the preparation behind a monitoring application and the process questions that shape a measurement plan.
What we took from the Save on Energy EMIS webinar
We attended Save on Energy’s EMIS webinar in early February and followed up on the practical work behind a monitoring application.
Talking practical monitoring at Partners in Project Green
We presented practical approaches to industrial monitoring at a Partners in Project Green event hosted by Molson Coors in Etobicoke.
Common questions
Can you use our existing electricity meters?
We use existing electricity meters when they provide a compatible output. We check pulse, 4-20 mA or Modbus availability for each instrument and its configuration. Where another feed needs its own reading, we specify suitable metering.
What is an EMIS?
An Energy Management Information System (EMIS) brings meter and sensor readings together for review. It gives energy management work a record of demand, consumption and operating patterns, so your team can compare changes against a baseline.
Can we compare energy use across factories?
Comparable metering points and production counts allow energy use to be compared per unit of output. We agree the basis with your team before setting up the view. The comparison identifies differences for investigation.
How is electrical installation arranged?
We review meter access and the electrical work needed with your facility team. Existing meter outputs and any additional metering determine the installation scope. We agree access and scheduling before work begins.
Can alerts follow our operating schedule?
Alerts can use the operating windows and demand conditions your team agrees. We review the expected idle behaviour before setting the threshold. The notification asks your team to check equipment or scheduling when demand persists.
Find the loads worth a closer look
Walk the facility with our team and show us where electricity use needs a clearer view. We will agree the measurements and connections to start with.
Book a site visitContact our team
or call 1-833-QUANTFY (1-833-782-6839)