- 15 min
Energy management is becoming increasingly critical, particularly in regions with distributed power systems and high demand for reliability. ECM (Energy Control and Management), led by Hendrik and Gerhard, is at the forefront of this transformation, developing innovative solutions for IES (Infinite Energy Storage) that combine industrial automation expertise with cutting-edge energy management technologies.
At ELEV8, ECM shared insights into how they addressed some of the biggest challenges in the energy sector, including data integrity, remote monitoring, scalability, and reporting.
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The Challenge: Data, Scale, and Connectivity
The ECM team came from a strong background in industrial automation, managing complex control systems for industries like explosives and FMCG, before transitioning to energy systems — including steam turbines, wind turbines, and medium-voltage switchgear.
They quickly identified that in energy management:
- Monitoring is critical, but it is often fragmented across different devices and sites.
- Data integrity is non-negotiable, especially for critical infrastructure.
- Remote sites present connectivity challenges, with inconsistent signal reception and heavy VPN-based data streams.
“Conventional approaches like VPN and Modbus TCP generated huge data streams, often 18GB per month, which made some sites virtually inaccessible.”
— Hendrik Van Der Nest, ECM
It was clear that a more efficient, scalable, and lightweight approach was required.
The Solution: MQTT and Ignition
To address these challenges, ECM implemented a lightweight MQTT-based architecture, coupled with Ignition SCADA as the central platform. This combination enabled real-time monitoring, efficient data transfer, and dynamic reporting.
Why MQTT?
MQTT was chosen over traditional VPN-Modbus TCP setups because:
- It dramatically reduces data load: MQTT lowered data usage from 18GB/month to just 2GB/month.
- It supports store-and-forward, ensuring data integrity even with intermittent connectivity.
- It enables bi-directional communication (write-back capability) for remote setpoints.
- Lightweight arrays enable fast and efficient data transmission, even from constrained devices.
This architecture is particularly suited for remote or low-bandwidth sites, where VPN-heavy data transfers would be impractical.
Architecture Overview
ECM’s energy management solution follows a robust data flow:
- Field Devices / PLCs collect data from energy systems
- Modbus-to-MQTT Gateways convert the data into lightweight arrays
- Data is sent to an MQTT broker, either via CirrusLink or a third-party broker
- The Ignition server processes and visualises the data, using SQL databases to map tags and store historical information
This setup enables scalable deployment, allowing new sites or devices to be added dynamically through QR code scanning or automated scripts. Ignition automatically generates thousands of tags and updates dashboards in real-time, saving hundreds of hours of manual configuration.
Dynamic, Scalable, and Customizable
ECM’s solution is designed to be completely dynamic:
- Users are assigned tiered access rights: super-users, integrators, and site owners
- Sites and devices can be added or updated without manual tag creation
- Reports and dashboards are customizable and stored in SQL, allowing branding and client-specific views
- Advanced CSS scripting ensures dashboards automatically adapt to different screens and devices
“Every time we thought we hit a roadblock, Ignition made it possible to find a simple, elegant solution.”
— Gerhard Louw, ECM
The Result: Efficient, Robust Energy Management
ECM’s approach has several key benefits:
- Efficient data usage: Lightweight MQTT streams allow reliable monitoring across all sites
- Scalability: New devices and sites can be integrated automatically
- Dynamic dashboards: Operators and managers see real-time performance, historical trends, and reports tailored to their needs
- Robustness: Store-and-forward ensures no data is lost, even in low-connectivity scenarios
By leveraging Ignition and MQTT, ECM has created a cost-effective, user-friendly, and highly scalable platform that brings industrial automation expertise to energy management.
Looking Forward
The ECM-IES collaboration demonstrates the power of innovative, modern architectures for critical infrastructure. With MQTT and Ignition, energy management systems can be:
- Light on bandwidth yet rich in insight
- Easily scaled to multiple sites
- Fully automated, dynamic, and user-friendly
This project not only addresses today’s challenges but lays a foundation for the future of energy monitoring in South Africa, where reliability, efficiency, and data integrity are more important than ever.
Conclusion
ECM’s innovative use of MQTT and Ignition shows that complex energy systems can be managed efficiently, without heavy infrastructure or excessive manual effort. Their approach serves as a blueprint for other organisations seeking to modernise energy monitoring and control, offering real-time insights, robust reporting, and scalable deployments.
“Energy management is no longer just about keeping the lights on. It’s about knowing your systems inside out and acting on insights to improve performance.”
— Henderik Van Der Nest, ECM