R E MO T E M O N I TO R IN G

O F EN E R G Y C O N S U MP T I O N

For certain purposes, a user of the power utilities is at the same time a secondary supplier for the
actual end users of the energy. This is the case of the owner of a mall, or a complex. The latter is
invoiced by the power utility, and at the same time it invoices the end user for the consumpted
energy.
So far most of procedures consisted of the installation of single energy meters for each end user.
The actual energy consumption was locally read on the energy meters itself by someone who writes
down all values on a portable recorder, or even on a piece of paper. The registered information
was afterwards reported to the office, and each end user got an invoice for his consumption.
Other systems employ some handheld devices that print “in situ” a bill for the end user, which
spares the collection of the info to the central office for printing invoices. A local surveillance is
still required for this method though.
A remote monitoring of this information ends up to be a milestone for the energy measuring and
invoicing, since all the information would be collected in a centralised, and avoiding the local
reading saving time and money Our solution consists of several parts that will permit the user to
keep track of each of his secondary users. This includes invoicing them for the energy
consumption, at the desired tariff.
For the latter suggested solution, several devices are required. Namely:

− Energy meters (with pulse output available),

− Pulse signal collector,

− RS485 to RS232 converter

− Software
The energy meters measure the energy consumption. The value is shown on a local display,
and at the same time a pulse output is generated. This pulse output serves as an input for the
pulse collector.
The pulse collector terminal, the so-called TTI (Terminal Totalizador de Impulsos).
This device collects up to 8 pulse signals coming from 8 different energy meters. The pulse signals
are consolidated in a single RS-485 signal, which transports the required information.
As a conventional PC has RS232 ports, a convertor between protocol is needed. Our
converters family IFR works as adaptor between the pulse collector and the computer. Each
convertor changes the RS485 of 32 TTI collectors. This means, a single adaptor is able to
transmit the PC the consumption of 8·32=256 energy meters.
Our software processes the energy signals released by the kWh meters, and classifies them
according to each meter and its pulse weight. The program TTIgest can afterwards print a single
invoice for each meter, at the desired and customized rate.

ENERGY PULSE

RS 485 / 232

ENERGY PULSE
FA Q
I want to install different kind of meters to the pulse collector. Is the above
depicted solution still valid? Yes it is. Actually any meter which sends a pulse
output can be used, such as a gas meter, water consumption meter, etc. Each
meter can be associated to a diferent rate and description in the invoice. Please
note that SACI produces energy meters only.

The end users have different energy consumptions, and the pulse signals
are therefore of a different quantity. Can the software cope with this? Yes,
it can. This feature is just one of the parameters that can be customized in the
settings.

I want to use different rates for each end user. Is it possible through the
software? Sure.

My PC has two RS232 ports. Can I install 2 convertors, 64 TTI’s and 512
energymeters to one single PC? Certainly, you can. An alternative solution
consists of using the so-called convertor IFR4. It operates as 4xIFR, and will use
a single RS232 port.

I want to monitor and control all the consumptions from a remote PC. Is it
possible to transmit the information through a MODEM from the
convertor to my PC? Yes, it is. The RS232 port of the PC can be connected to a
local modem. This modem can collect information from a number of modems
remotely located. Each of these modems can be connected to one convertor
IFR. The number of energy meters that can be monitored in this way is as large
as the customer wants.

Can the software handle all the information of more than 256 meters in
one single session? Yes, of course. The user must consider that each meter
needs a brief period of time to submit the information to the PC. The higher is
the number of meters, the longer is the delay in collecting the information.

SACI S.A. de Construcciones Industriales

saci@saci.es – www.saci.es
Tel.: +34 91 5190245 – Fax: +34 91 4169646