ControlAudit™
One-way paging residential load control systems are a widely used technology for Demand Response mainly due to their low cost, high value, and ease of installation. Unfortunately, the biggest drawback to these one-way communication systems is the inability to get feedback while the system is being used as well as the inability to monitor the overall health of the load control system. ControlAudit™ fills this void giving load response portfolio managers increased reliability in their system whether they use the system once every few years or frequently throughout the year. The ControlAudit™ field devices, the FieldInsight™, are deployed in strategic sample areas of the demand response program’s footprint communicating real time feedback statistics to the centralized ControlAudit OpCenter™, giving program managers’ key system analytics.
Most one way communication load control systems operate on the fundamental idea of interrupting the thermostat’s ability to communicate with the central AC compressor causing a momentary deactivation of the home’s air conditioning system. FieldInsight™ devices work right along side these devices to provide real time advanced metrics surrounding the performance of the load control system. By monitoring the connection between the thermostat and the compressor the FieldInsight ™ is able to provide extremely accurate data about both the effectiveness of the hardware and the control strategy in place to provide load control benefits.
OpCenter™
DSM program managers of programs deploying one way communication switches finally have relief and a vital insight into the real time operations of their demand response infrastructure. The OpCenter™ is a secure web system that provides advanced monitoring and reporting of the demand response infrastructure by collecting and processing vital data from the field.
Key Features:
- View geographic mapping of the entire load control network through Google Maps. View the location and real-time status of each FieldInsight™.
- Create scheduled system-wide, geographical, sub-group, or individual device curtailment events to be monitored in detail.
- Receive a multitude of real-time graphical and tabular statistics on a scheduled event including first switch curtailed, last switch restored, and curtailed/restoration percentages.
- Create reports for specific types of events. Reports can be setup to demonstrate exactly how load control devices are affected by various control scenarios like a 100% load control versus a 50% load control.
- Notification and alarming on key infrastructure events including unexpected device events. Get notified by OpCenter™ whenever an unexpected change to a switch occurs.
- Secure role based authentication. Provide different levels of access so that the right people have access to the right functionality, including administrators, analysts, and installers.
- Simple commissioning process. A step by step commissioning process makes the installation of FieldInsight™ devices in the field quick and easy for installers.
FieldInsight™
The FieldInsight™ is a robust, rugged field device that enables real-time monitoring and reporting of key system status details back to a centralized platform including curtailment status, location information, and paging signal strength. It has the ability to communicate over a multitude of communication mediums to enable all forms of deployment strategies. The FieldInsight™ has NEMA 4X construction to enable either internal or external installation.
Key Features
- Support for an array of communication infrastructures including wired LAN, internet, the public telephone network, private telephone networks, wireless cellular telephone networks, satellite, paging, and Wi-Fi.
- Guaranteed accurate location information via optional on-board GPS module.
- Paging signal strength analysis by way of optional signal strength analysis module.
- Configurable heartbeat timing enabling control of the frequency a device communicates to the central system and conserves bandwidth and costs in the off season.
- FieldInsight™ is 100% remotely programmable and updateable enabling cost effective network management.
- Rugged NEMA 4X enclosure construction ensures equivalent weather protection as load control switches
