OptoBlog

Understanding Your Industrial Electricity Bill

Posted by Arun Sinha on Dec 6, 2023 7:00:00 AM

The first step toward reducing your energy spend is to analyze your utility bill.

In my previous blog post, “Why Consider Energy Monitoring” I proposed that acquiring data was essential to any project targeted at reducing an organization's energy spend. I also touched on how the electric utility bill for industrial users can be complex.

If you are considering monitoring your energy and power, a good first step would be to get a hold of and understand that bill. I thought I would analyze and share my thoughts on Opto 22’s bill, as it is probably very similar to the one for your industrial or commercial facility.

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Topics: Energy management, IIoT, Data acquisition, digital transformation, power monitoring, groov rio emu, energy monitoring

Selecting and sizing a current transformer

Posted by Ben Orchard on Jun 14, 2023 10:12:45 AM

What looks like a donut, but you can't eat it, yet it still gives energy?
Clearly, I’m not very good at riddles, so I’ll cut straight to the answer: a current transformer, or CT.

CTs are a critical part of any electrical load monitoring system, so let's take a look at how they work, the different types, how to size them, and lastly, two important aspects of installing them.

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Topics: Energy management, groov rio emu, current transformers, energy monitoring

ENTELEC Conference & Expo 2023

Posted by Janice Colmer on Apr 12, 2023 7:56:03 AM

See solutions from different vendors working together in the new Innovations Lab, and get your free pass to the Expo.

Join us in Houston for this year's ENTELEC Conference & Expo, May 9-11. Explore a complete edge solution for your project using Opto 22’s groov EPIC and RIO products with the efficient MQTT Transmission module from Opto tech partner Cirrus Link Solutions.

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Topics: Energy management, Events & conferences, MQTT, groov EPIC, groov RIO, Cirrus Link Solutions

ICC X Panel Discussion "Drain the Data Lake" now available

Posted by Janice Colmer on Oct 25, 2022 12:31:59 PM

Watch the panel discussion from the 2022 Ignition Community Conference that brought together experts involved in the industry-changing State of Indiana Energy INsights project.

Dedicated readers of the OptoBlog (and we appreciate you!) might recall previous posts talking about our participation in a project that's changing the way manufacturers do business in Indiana. Introduced in a Cirrus Link Solutions webinar as well as outlined in a Control news article, the significance of this project can not be overstated.

Indiana is leading the way in advancing manufacturers to make Industry 4.0 quick, simple, and cost-effective. The state has launched a first-of-its-kind program to enable its manufacturing industries to become the Factories of the Future.

So it was no surprise when the project turned up as a panel discussion topic at this year's tenth annual Ignition Community Conference. Some industry names you might recognize came together for an important conversation.

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Topics: Energy management, groov EPIC, Ignition, Ignition Community Conference, groov RIO, manufacturing

ENTELEC unveils Innovations Lab

Posted by Janice Colmer on Sep 19, 2022 11:10:29 AM

Join Opto 22 and see groov EPIC in action at the one day ENTELEC Fall Seminar for the energy industry.

If your schedule allows you to be in the area of Odessa, Texas October 6th, you'll want to include the annual ENTELEC Fall Seminar in your plans. ENTELEC is a user association focusing on the convergence of telecom and IT including digitization, IIoT, automation, cyber security, AI, cloud and edge computing, specific to petroleum, natural gas, pipeline, and electric utility companies.

Their Fall Seminar is a one day conference designed to fit your schedule and priced to fit any budget. It's a well planned day offering new technology demos, industry training programs and networking opportunities, especially focused on the Energy and Oil & Gas industries.

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Topics: Energy management, Events & conferences, Training, groov EPIC, cybersecurity, edge computing, oil and gas

Indiana helps manufacturers optimize energy use

Posted by Janice Colmer on Jul 5, 2022 1:23:17 PM

A recent article featured in Control magazine outlines the project that brought together the state of Indiana and Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Indiana is leading the way in advancing manufacturers to make Industry 4.0 quick, simple, and cost-effective. The state has launched a first-of-its-kind program to enable its manufacturing industries to become the Factories of the Future.

This unique energy project brought together many key players including Energy Systems Network (ESN), Emerging Manufacturing Collaboration Center (EMC2), Amazon Web Services (AWS), OptoPartner Feyen Zylstra, and even Opto 22.

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Topics: Energy management, groov EPIC, groov RIO, Amazon Web Services

Learn the benefits of power and energy monitoring

Posted by Janice Colmer on May 26, 2022 11:43:03 AM

Better machine health, lower energy costs: see the financial and operational advantages in this new video.

Why isn't energy accounted for the same as other major business expenditures? It's time to change that. Opto 22's Director of Business Development, Arun Sinha, shows what you gain when you implement a plan to monitor and manage energy consumption and power usage.

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Topics: Energy management, Videos, groov EPIC, power monitoring, groov rio emu

Power and energy monitoring with Modbus TCP

Posted by Ben Orchard on May 23, 2022 1:00:00 PM

Get some tips on using the groov RIO EMU with other Modbus TCP devices.

The Modbus protocol has been around since the late 1970’s. This is both amazing and cool. Amazing as some reading this have been using it since then (how time flies!). Cool because it's been around so long, and well established and widely used.

Opto 22 products have been supporting Modbus TCP since way-back-when. Out of the box, our devices are Modbus TCP slaves (now called "servers") and can be polled for data on specific register addresses. The groov RIO EMU (Energy Monitoring Unit), one of our newest products, is no different.

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Topics: Energy management, Modbus, groov RIO, OptoForum, power monitoring, groov rio emu

Power & Energy Monitoring - Why and how?

Posted by Janice Colmer on Apr 19, 2022 9:54:36 AM

New website resources outline how to securely access and share your energy data.

Opto 22 gives you lots of options when it comes to helping you monitor your power and energy usage.  The groov RIO EMU (energy monitoring unit) is an edge I/O module meant for easy distributed power and energy monitoring of one 3-phase load. Check out our previous announcements for all the details.

However, for monitoring multiple loads located near each other, and for a complete system including real-time control, groov EPIC with power monitoring modules might be the better choice.

But, you might have more questions about which is the right solution for you, why and how do you get started monitoring your machine health or energy data? And how do you do it securely?

Check out our new website resources for some guidance on these important energy topics.

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Topics: Energy management, groov EPIC, groov RIO, power monitoring

MQTT to be featured in upcoming ENTELEC Conference in Houston

Posted by Janice Colmer on Apr 12, 2022 9:46:38 AM

The world's leading association of energy operators is hosting its annual conference and expo this month in Houston.

Opto 22 is partnering once again with our Tech Partner Cirrus Link Solutions to exhibit and present at the 2022 ENTELEC Conference & Expo, April 26 - 28, 2022.  Cirrus Link President and CTO, Arlen Nipper, will be giving the keynote address on April 28th. You don't want to miss it!

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Topics: Energy management, Events & conferences, MQTT, oil and gas

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