Energy Communities: Smart Metering and Demand-Response technologies take off.
Talking about Energy Communities (RECs or Collective Self-consumption), it’ s convenient to focus on “Digital Energy”: in fact, the impacts of this new trend (which is not just “fashion”, but involves global socio-economic aspects) go well beyond the Photovoltaic System, beyond #Batteries, beyond Smart Building, merging with the electricity grids themselves (Smart Grid). As existing electricity system resources (transmission, electricity distribution, the delivery point) are evolving, often approaching the end of their useful life, and in such cases will have to be replaced, the forward-looking configurations of new electricity grids are moving towards enhanced sensing capabilities (IoT), computing capacity (or rather intrinsic intelligence as EdgeComputing, AI), communication speed (including 5G, NBIoT or LoraWan, WirelessM-Bus, or in indoor environments Zwave and ZigBee), and sharing (Blockchain, BCDL): in short, they increasingly resemble telecommunications networks. To support the digital transformation that will involve the new electricity grids, Tera srl has developed Smart Devices that read the fiscal meter and monitor and manage the bidirectional flows of Electrical Energy, communicating both with battery (or other type of storage) and PV inverters, and with service delivery platforms (such as Energy Community or Virtual Power Plant services, Grid Services, and other dispatch services). In this article we try to describe how these technologies are useful for end-use applications, use cases that impact on users’ lives and habits, distinguishing between technologies already released in the last three years and those recently released. – Smart Metering “chain2”: “already released” – “Beeta” Ecosystem • the Beeta Premium App provides meter readings and a summary balance between the energy produced, fed in, withdrawn and consumed/self-consumed; • the BeetaBox control unit extends SmartHome functionality (smartplug, CO2, T and Ur, brightness, etc.); • the BeetaGame App (gamification) provides suggestions to users to improve their consumption habits (according to the Design and Copyright deposited, a non-speculative virtual currency is also foreseen as a stimulus to user engagement for better awareness/awareness; NEW : The new Beeta Reader, User Device approved for both chain1 and chain2, has the following characteristics (totally or partially distinct from those of other products). It has: • Linux on board and, with different approaches (Socket.IO library, configuration middleware with frontend, APIs), it allows third parties to develop applications, distributing in an ‘arbitrary’ way the different modules constituting the SW solution (part on board, part on local server or on cloud: ‘orchestrated’ solution); • ARM dual core A7, clock 800 MHz, RAM up to 1 GB and eMMC up to 8 GB, WIFI (+BT optional), Ethernet, USB (for 3G/4G/NBIoT pendrives): the possibility of interacting with third party devices and systems is therefore very high; in particular: – remote update anytime – ability to run MQTT tools , BlockChain Distributed Ledger and third-party AI tools; Due to its flexibility of use and high degree of interoperability with third-party devices and SW, this device is of particular interest for innovative solutions (requiring experimentation and PoC) and, in any case, whenever the integration of functions is essential, also in the “Energy Community” segment with active energy flow management logics, e.g. dedicated to the provision of Network Services/MSD. These are always and in any case “IoT edge computing” solutions (Made in Italy, not with Raspberry or similar). On these important issues, Tera is supported by valuable technical and scientific collaborations, like the one with the Polytechnic University of Bari.
Energy Communities – technological and social evolution
Behind the concise statements made by our AU Antonio Sacchetti , reported in the article on l’Edicola del SUD , lie enormous implications. We have learned, from the lot of news about the PNRR (with the funds of the NGEU – Next Generation Europe), that the digital transition (alias digitization) is the first “mission”, the ecological transition (i.e. green revolution) is the second and, together, already absorb more than half of the funds allocated to Italy (thus over 100 billion euros, including loans and grants); moreover, part of the third mission (Sustainable Mobility) concerns however “energy” aspects (such as e-mobility, for example). We also know that this structuring of funds is substantially based on what has been established by the EU in the “European Green Deal” (EUGreenDeal) and in the Clean Energy Package, in turn both linked in unison to the 2030 Agenda of the Paris Agreement (adoption of United Nations General Assembly resolution A/RES/70/1, “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”). The many acronyms and technicalities let these programs appear fundamentally “technological”, but this is not the case, or not at all. Social implications in the broadest sense are enormous (this is evidenced by the fact that the mission 4 of the National Reform Programme is called “Cohesion and Inclusion”). Well, the essence of the presence of TERA in the Local Energy Community referred to in the press article is just that: energy communities are made not only of technology (this would be enough for Tera, since it produces Iot Edge COmputing solutions for applications in VPP – UVAM and Energy Communities, where Smart Metering, Photovoltaic and BESS (storage systems) in unison with the Smart Building converge in the so-called Digital Energy), but of behavioral and economic-social changes. For this reason we emphasize the concepts that affect the habits of life of people and businesses: it is about sharing the energy produced cleanly in small plants in buildings, which requires, before technologies, a mental approach devoted to sharing, to the management of common goods and values. So, we start with information, we meet, we establish the rules, we constitute with a minimum of formalism the energy community (possibly with the support of ESCOs, Energy Players – operators “on the bill” – , Consultants) and only then we proceed with the technologies (involving suppliers and electrical designers). We hope that Italians know how to seize these opportunities for socio-economic progress before technological ones! The complete news is on the newspaper l ‘Edicola del Sud at this link: https://www.terasrl.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/tera-edicola-sud-comunità-energetiche.pdf
The water poor flies to Dubai
A student of Industrial Design at the Polytechnic of Bari presents himself, on the recommendation of an entrepreneur passionate about Design (and active in the world of associations.. for a lifetime..), with an interesting idea, on the theme of AgeAssistantLiving, which he developed during the workshop “Materials for Design”, supported by professors Paolo Ferrari and Giovanni Pappalettera. The idea was supported by Tera, that supported the young designer in the realization phase, starting from the prototype. What’s more, there is the possibility of coming together, accepting the invitation of the RegionePuglia, to exhibit the working prototype at ExpoDubai, as part of the exhibition “DesignPuglia: Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu”. We are talking about a story that includes the values we trust: collaboration, Research and Development, electronic technologies, applications with social implications: the game is done, collaboration is born and… fairs have to be made! Congratulations to Luca Chieco (and to the professors Paolo Ferrari and Giovanni Pappalettera) for his brilliant idea, the WaterPourer project, developed also with the support of Tera and… above all… Luca … #stayinpuglia ! 👉🏻 Interview at TeleBari 👉🏻 News on La Repubblica Bari
Less water and energy waste with the Beeta App
In a time where energy resources are becoming increasingly precious, Valentina Iorio’s article, published on Corriere.it a few days ago, invites readers to make strategic use of apps dedicated to the theme of sustainability. To no longer risk forgetting the light on, or running water while brushing your teeth, continuously monitoring electricity consumption, and at the same time turn energy saving into a game, the App Beeta , available for both Android and iOS, is the winning solution! Visit 👉🏻 https://www.beeta.it/en/
Smart building: accelerations from the new code of electronic communications
Foto by Freepic The theme of smart building, has been evolving for decades: a long way from the now obsolete concept of “home automation”, which is marking time in favor of the term smart home, with elements of innovation often very relevant, as in the case of digital energy that enables to merge some of the features of the power grid with those of the building: smart building and smart grid converge, thanks to the interoperability of technologies, IoT and Edge computing. But let’s widen our point of view: considering any building that can accommodate people (mainly, but not only) for different types of use, today when we talk about Intelligent Building we talk about Energy, Safety, Comfort at 360-degree. With all this convergence, it is therefore evident, and we would say inevitable, that the infrastructure of the building becomes a prerequisite for it to be considered “smart”: we are talking, of course, about an infrastructure that is integrated! Service infrastructure, starting with energy and telecommunications carriers – once again, the concept of system integration is an enabling condition and the technologies to be integrated are in fact enabling technologies. The path towards the evolution of the Intelligent Building finds a milestone on which we place our attention here: the European Code of Electronic Communications , established by Directive (EU) 2018/1972 of the European Parliament and of the Council (December 11, 2018), has been transposed in Italy by the LEGISLATIVE DECREE November 8, 2021, n. 207 , in force since 24-12-2021. The salient concepts and aspects are: – the concept of passive multi-service physical infrastructure: The digital infrastructure of buildings and multi-service facilities are the minimum essential equipment to enable occupants to take advantage of the relevant services; – the reference to the concept of smart building , defined by Directive 844/2018 as a building “prepared for intelligence”, a performance that can be measured through the indicator introduced by the European Commission, the Smart Readiness Indicator (S.R.I.), which must necessarily be equipped with such multi-service physical infrastructure – and, consequently, the very important new requirement: municipal technical offices will have to verify compliance with the obligations of digital infrastructure of the building , in the cases provided for, during the presentation of building projects. From the third point, it can be seen that the new provisions make the already existing obligation of digital infrastructure of buildings even more binding (if this conceptually can be imagined) : in fact, this obligation had already been introduced by art. 6 ter, paragraph 2 of Law no. 164/2014, which inserted art. 135 bis in DPR 380/01. From a practical point of view, while the label “building prepared for ultra-broadband” was considered in the previous regulatory provision as optional and not binding (art. 135 bis c.3 ), now among the conditions to be verified for the characteristics of fitness of a property, i.e. the conditions of safety, hygiene, health, energy saving of buildings and systems installed in them , has been introduced the presence, in the documentation provided, of the certificate of “building prepared for ultra-wideband”, issued by a qualified technician for the systems referred to in Article 1, paragraph 2, letter b), of the Decree of the Minister of Economic Development of January 22, 2008, no. 37, and according to the provisions of the Guides of the Ministry of Economic Development. 37, and in accordance with the provisions of the Guides CEI 306-2, CEI 306-22 and 64-100/1, 2 and 3. For further information, please read the following article written by Pasquale Capezzuto and published by Smart Building Italia https://www.smartbuildingitalia.it/news/contributi/linfrastrutturazione-digitale-degli-edifici-e-il-nuovo-codice-delle-comunicazioni-elettroniche/
PMI DAY 2021 of the small industry of Confindustria
Bari, November 19, 2021- The national PMI DAY of the Piccola Industria di Confindustria, which presents hundred of small and medium-sized companies in the country to thousands of high school students, was also held today in Bari. In Bari, about sixty boys and girls from the Marco Polo Institute and the Marconi-Hack Institute of Bar i visited the Adriatica Tecno Logistica of Modugno and found that even a large energy-intensive logistics platform such as this can become green : thanks to a massive photovoltaic system , this company, despite being highly energy-intensive because of its large cold rooms, has drastically reduced energy costs and its environmental impact, saving in 8 years almost 1 million euros and 4,777,315 kg of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. During the visit to the students were presented the n ew frontiers of clean energy productio n that is evolving thanks to digital. The Bari-based SME Tera srl , in fact, showed them how digital technology, applied to a photovoltaic system, can allow anyone, citizens and businesses not only to produce clean energy, but also to use it only when needed and exchange it, or sell it, when it is in excess. They can be born in this way, the local energy communities that produce and exchange energy within them. At the Bari PMI DAY 2021, organized in collaboration with Federmeccanica , speakers included Francesco Berardi , National President of Piccola Industria Confindustria Bari BAT, Natale Mariella President of Adriatica Tecno Logistica, Teresa Caradonna President of Piccola Industria Confindustria Puglia, Lorenzo Pagliuca Vice President of Piccola Industria Confindustria, Antonio Sacchetti CEO of Tera srl.
Energy Efficiency Best companies in Italy
Once again Tera srl has been selected and chosen among the best EnergyEfficiency startups and companies in Italy, for the innovativeness, management, and social impact of its solutions. Thank you Futurology Life for this recognition! 👉🏻 https://futurology.life/73-most-innovative-italy-based-energy-efficiency-companies-startups/https://lnkd.in/eKgR8kW9
The future of innovation is edge computing
Designed by Freepic Moving processing power to the edge of the network with edge computing is the new frontier of innovation. From the mainframe to the PC, from mixed client-server computing to the cloud and software-as-a-service, the technologies used for data processing, which has become increasingly complex, require even more high capacity and stable connections that minimize the latency time of information transmission, necessary for time-sensitive applications. Most Edge Computing solutions are used in industry for a variety of applications, ranging from sensor aggregation to monitoring of complex systems, to the digital transformation of manufacturing environments. Using Edge Computing technology in industrial sectors, as well as in the service sector, means monitoring and automating certain processes in the best, most effective way and protected from cyber-attacks. Managing machinery and IoT objects in real time is the challenge that edge computing and 5G are preparing to play, whose integration will allow to increase the speed of processing by exploiting the local cache of devices such as smartphones or IoT sensors. Learn more about this topic by reading this interesting article on Computerworld: Edge computing: the next leap of innovation U DISCOVER EDGE COMPUTER
Tera among the 101 Top Energy Startups 2021 for BestStartup.eu
Our commitment and foresight to design and create IoT Edge Computer respecting the ecodesign principles for sustainability is guiding us on a long term path with our partners and customers, especially in the world of Digital Energy. Thanks to BestStartup.eu for having identified the great innovative potential of an SME in the Apulia Region. Read the full article: https://beststartup.eu/101-top-energy-startups-and-companies-in-italy-2021/