Smart Grid Project – WA, Australia

Project Description

Arnowa has been at the forefront of a groundbreaking Smart Grid project at the Innovation and Testing Centre, located 40 kilometers north of Perth. The facility, spanning 51 hectares, focuses on activities such as testing, research, and development for autonomous and remote operations, as well as robotic systems. Arnowa’s solution aimed to optimize energy efficiency while establishing a scalable and intelligent infrastructure for monitoring and automation across the facility.

Project Summary

The project involved deploying a smart energy management system to enhance energy efficiency within the testing center. The system provided real-time data monitoring across five key sites, each equipped with advanced electrical meters to track over 65 parameters per minute. The Smart Grid aimed to improve operational efficiency, cut costs, and reduce emissions while providing invaluable insights into energy consumption and sustainability targets.

Challenges

• Lack of a robust monitoring, reporting, and verification system.
• Need for integrated network development to streamline operations across the facility.
• Ensuring scalability in monitoring, analytics, and automation to meet the growing needs of the Innovation and Testing Centre.

Objective

The project aimed to furnish the facility with fundamental hardware and connectivity infrastructure, alongside establishing a strong analytical foundation. The initial focus was on augmenting energy efficiency while ensuring the system’s agility and scalability to handle future expansions.

Solutions

Arnowa implemented a comprehensive Smart Grid solution, featuring advanced connectivity using Modbus, Bacnet, 4GLte, LoRa, LoRaWAN, and BLE. The system provided real-time energy monitoring and management across the facility, enabling predictive maintenance, smart alerts, and seamless data display through a no-code web-based dashboard. Key elements of the solution included:

1. Installation of 15 electrical meters to monitor key energy parameters.
2. Real-time analytics and predictive fault detection algorithms.
3. Integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) for renewable energy optimization.
4. ISO-compliant data handling and management.

Results

Arnowa’s solution delivered substantial cost savings, with projected energy savings of over AU $800,000 over the next 10 years. The Smart Grid system facilitated real-time management of the facility’s energy consumption, enhanced decision-making with predictive maintenance and anomaly alerts, and provided a pathway toward achieving Net Zero emissions. Additionally, the integration of AI and machine learning enabled the facility to monitor emissions in real-time, track carbon hotspots, and generate automated reports on sustainability efforts.

Location

• Innovation and Testing Centre, 40 km north of Perth, Western Australia

Challenge

• Absence of a robust monitoring, reporting, and verification system
• Need for integrated network development to streamline facility operations
• Ensuring scalability in monitoring, analytics, and automation for future growth

Metering Hardware

• 15 advanced electrical meters tracking over 65 energy parameters per minute
• Connectivity using Modbus, Bacnet, 4GLte, LoRa, LoRaWAN, and BLE
• Real-time energy monitoring via a no-code web-based dashboard
• AI and machine learning integration for predictive maintenance and anomaly detection

Results

• Projected energy savings of over AU $800,000 in the next 10 years
• Real-time energy consumption management and predictive maintenance alerts
• Pathway toward Net Zero emissions with real-time emissions tracking and carbon hotspot monitoring
• Enhanced decision-making through AI-driven insights and automated sustainability reports