Behind-the-meter energy storage systems. Solar panels. Medical equipment. Power failure is not an option. How does a hospital facility manager ensure that backup power systems are functional, performing at optimal levels, and compliant with state and federal regulations?

In the not-too-distant past, mandatory monthly testing could involve up to six technicians working for more than an hour, tediously moving from one machine to the next, taking hand-written notes and manually compiling reports. Blue Pillar's Aurora, a flexible Energy Network of Things platform that connects and controls a variety of distributed energy resources, brings energy management into the twenty-first century.  

IoT and Energy Management

Aurora is an Internet of Things (IoT) software platform that monitors and manages distributed energy resources such as microturbines, solar panels, fuel cells, combined heat and power (CHP), and smart meters. The system is vendor-neutral, scalable, and easily deployable. Aurora's secure, web-based interface allows a technician to remotely test and calibrate equipment, as well as monitor energy use and production in real-time. One can even connect microphones and webcams to remotely perform visual inspections and ensure that nobody is physically near equipment as it's being tested.

On-site generation isn't just for emergency purposes. With behind-the-meter energy storage, CHP, and renewable energy sources, a facility can save money by generating its own electricity during peak demand hours. Aurora can help customers take advantage of demand response opportunities by using real-time pricing information to automatically switch between grid and local power as grid demand drives prices up or down.

Facility of the Future

When specifying backup generators, engineers perform a load analysis to determine the optimal size of the generator, and we always add a little extra capacity to account for future expansion. When replacing a generator, it seems logical to specify the same size, but that fails to account for "load creep," the increase in energy usage caused by the addition of new devices and the decrease in efficiency from aging equipment. Aurora's monitoring system can give the engineers a more accurate picture of the actual load requirements, allowing them to choose the right sized replacement generator. And we're not talking about the little 1500 watt unit that I keep in my garage; these are massive generators whose installation could require using a crane and shutting down a city street for a while. We don't want to replace these because they're undersized.

Distributed Generation

Since 2010, behind-the-meter distributed generation has increased fourfold. As the price of solar and storage continues to plummet, we can expect this growth to continue. Blue Pillar provides a secure distributed generation infrastructure (DGI) that allows utilities to access data from customer microgrids, effectively making the microgrid an extension of the utility itself. Aurora's application programming interface (API) lets utilities create their own apps to handle grid balancing, load management, and voltage optimization using real-time data.

Automatic Report Generators

Raise your hand if you like paperwork! (Maybe if I asked that on BUREAUCRACY.com I'd get some positive responses.) Facility managers have better things to do than write reports, so Aurora automates that process, generating standard reports for a variety of agencies, and maintaining records in an electronically searchable database for auditing purposes.

Energy Things™ power businesses and critical infrastructure, from hospitals and data centers to cable and wireless networks. More than seven million "behind-the-meter" Energy Things control the electricity that powers the world. Real-time control improves efficiency and ensures reliability.

Blue Pillar and its Aurora platform have received the following awards in recognition of its success in bringing the power of the IoT to critical infrastructure:
• GTM Grid Edge 2016 Award
• Deloitte’s 2015 Technology Fast 500
• IoT Evolution IoT Excellence Award 2015
• Energy Manager Today’s Top Project of the Year 2015
• 2015 IoT Evolution Smart Machines Innovation Award
• The Golden Bridge Awards: Energy Industry Innovation of the Year 2015
• Global Cleantech Top 100 Company

Images courtesy of Blue Pillar

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