Energy Monitoring
PowerNode™ — Energy Monitoring
PowerNode™ is a proposed electrical monitoring device designed to make the behaviour of three-phase electrical systems easier to observe.
Electrical installations can distribute power reliably while providing very little information about how that power is being used. In many facilities, operators have to rely on occasional meter readings, manual inspections or measurements taken only after a problem occurs. PowerNode™ is being developed around a more practical approach: collecting useful electrical measurements in one place and making them available for routine monitoring, troubleshooting and energy analysis. The goal is to connect the physical electrical installation with the information needed to manage it more effectively
PowerNode™ is envisioned as a compact monitoring unit installed within or alongside an electrical distribution board. It would obtain measurements through appropriately rated voltage-sensing connections and current transformers, then process and record the resulting data.
Depending on the final hardware configuration, the device could track phase voltages and currents, frequency, active power, energy consumption and power factor. Where the measurement hardware supports it, additional features could include voltage and current imbalance, demand trends and selected power-quality indicators.
The device would make readings available through a local interface and, in a later configuration, through a communications connection to a monitoring dashboard or building-management system. Local data storage would help preserve readings during network interruptions.
PowerNode™ is intended to reduce the need for separate instruments and repeated manual readings when monitoring a fixed installation. It is not intended to replace circuit breakers, residual-current protection, protective relays or certified revenue meters. It should not be used as a safety device or as the sole basis for decisions about electrical protection. Applications requiring certified power-quality analysis or billing-grade accuracy would need suitable independently verified measurement hardware.
The initial development focus would be a reliable measurement and logging prototype, followed by communications, data visualization and field testing.
Availability
In development
Early-stage concept.
Specification
- Measurement system
- Three-phase ACIntended for three-phase electrical installations; supported wiring configurations to be confirmed.
- Measured parameters
- Voltage, current, frequency, power and energyVoltage, current, frequency, power and energy
- Current input
- External current transformers (CTs)CT ratio and supported input range to be determined for the target installation.
- Communication interface
- RS-485 / Modbus RTU (planned)Subject to hardware selection and interoperability testing.
- Data logging
- Local measurement logging (planned)Storage capacity and logging interval to be established during prototyping.
Typical uses
- Electrical distribution board monitoring
- Three-phase equipment energy tracking
- Solar PV system performance monitoring
- Backup generator operating data
- Commercial building energy analysis
- Industrial load profiling
- Investigating unusual electrical consumption
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