PowerLogic and the Automation Server

[michael_franz]

One place we have been able to jail break competitor's system is when they need PowerLogic meter data in a format that they can use.  This is often for alarming and HVAC demand load shed schemes.  An Automation server is a powerful way to read, log and display electrical data from Modbus meters and then feeding the values to another BMS through BACnet.  There are less expensive devices that do the simple translation if that is all the customer needs.  You can upsell the AS by showing it is an appliance that lives on their network and can provide good electrical data to them while allowing the resident BAS to get the data that they need.  Hospitals are a prime candidate for this kind of application due to the HIPAA consideration.

When properly engineered the Automation Server will live side by side with PME or other software systems needed to give the customer the required information.

Modbus from PowerLogic redirected out as BACnet Objects using an AS.  Kind-of-mostly getting this down.

Michael Franz

Technical Consultant

Faith Technologies

[sesa57752 · Accepted solution]

Hi Mike,

Nice post. The A/S is certainly a powerful device. I would also like to direct your attention to the StruxureWare™ Power Monitoring Expert and StruxureWare Building Operation Integration Design Guide and the Power Manager 1.2 for SmartStruxure™ Solution Design Guide for recommendations on which metering architectures to use. There are some compromises (lost functionality/performance) that should be considered when running PowerLogic meters through the A/S.

Regards---Mark

[ram_kaushik]

Hi Mike,

Interesting point. There are always alternative architectures possible to integrate data from multiple systems - Mark brings up the SBO+Power Manager approach which is a great approach for non-critical facilities.

For critical facilities like hospitals which will benefit greatly from PME and applications like EPSS, I'd actually prefer to focus on up-selling PME-based critical power features and other application module functionality. To expose historical metering data to competitor BMS systems, one approach we've used is scheduling PME's "Data Export report" to dump out a csv file periodically. A competitor BMS uses a simple script to pick up these files and imports into their system. Doesn't address the real-time/alarming need but I'd contend that's better served from the PME end anyway.

Always many ways to skin a cat, eh?

Cheers!

R

[michael_franz]

Very familiar with PowerLogic software and hardware.  Cut my teeth on SMS over Blue Hose 25 years ago.  Can get SMS to sit up and speak.  Learning to do the same with PME.  Have played with Power Manager but not to much with ECO-Struxure for combining databases.  Several issues with the software offering.

1.  Has been complicated for customers to maintain - often goes fallow in time
2.  Can be difficult to get a PC on a sites network - IT people you know
3.  Engineers tool - complicated for the general user

The automation server is an appliance and I treat it as one.  We do not use its RS484 ports but instead run through gateways to gather the data.  This way when they are ready for Power Manager or PME it can be slid under the hood.  Another concern is that PME does not allow for segregated log in.  This makes it a tricky choice for an Enterprise level deployment.  Every site sees everyone's data and alarms.  Enterprise Server allow for the division of data for sites by log in credentials while allowing Enterprise data to be available for corporate users.  Why can't PME do this?

Michael Franz

Technical Advisor

Faith Technologies

[sesa57752]

Hi Mike - Thanks for the summary! The log in credentials feature you mention is a known gap in PME. I'm not promising anything, but stay tuned for future versions! 😉

[michael_franz]

Have been told that the Hierarchy Manager can help accomplish this or come close?  By making a Hierarchy structure can we create systems that segregate data and alarms?  Where do I learn how to do this if it can do the job?

[sesa57752]

Hi Mike - Hmmm, not sure if Hierarchy Manager is the silver bullet for you.

Here is a link to a discussion on the HM & Alarms: https://community.se.com/message/87817#87817.

You can also search Exchange for Hierarchy Manager for the Hierarchy Manager Help Document & there are a couple of videos in the [PME] [Summary] Video Tutorials section of the Exchange.

Those can probably get you further along in understanding the Hierarchy Manager.

Regards--Mark