Processing, December 2020

SYSTEM INTEGRATION Automation g o e s o f f g r i d Off grid automation platforms support any type of remote monitoring and control application regardless of whether power or networking is available By Dave Panish Quantum Automation he term o grid is often associated with those who camp or even live in remote locations without access to the electrical grid and other utilities In this context going off grid can be a choice to demonstrate selfsufficiency and reduce ones environmental impact However for companies and municipalities with power generation water treatment and other support equipment in remote locations monitoring and controlling o grid assets can be a challenging necessity O grid is not necessarily all that far away from civilization either ere are many instances of process equipment installed on site at a large facility but not easily connectable to power or networking utilities Reducing the amount of electrical wiring minimizes installation costs and it can reduce the potential for re or explosions at some locations Whether the o grid location is near or far users must often perform costly installations to achieve connectivity Today several technologies have converged to make off grid connectivity a much more practical possibility and more than ever end users want to gather data as part of industrial internet of things IIoT initiatives Solar panels durable batteries wireless networking and e cient electronics can overcome 28 Processing DECEMBER 2020 most challenges However pulling all the right pieces together to create a comprehensive system takes know how and experience To meet this need some systems integrators SIs have assembled standardized platforms of hardware software and networking so end users can achieve rapid and reliable o grid connectivity The off grid world Off grid monitoring and automation applications are more abundant than one might think Consider these situations where remote connectivity is typically required but the target sites are likely to be challenged with obtaining power and networking Oil and gas Production well and tank monitoring leak detection and compressor stations Environmental Solar and wind tracking land ll monitoring and water treatment Agriculture Soil moisture monitoring weather monitoring irrigation and pump houses Golf courses Lake monitoring pump control timers and sprinklers Water districts Tank monitoring and pump control Entertainment On location movie lming support Intelligent Transportation Systems ITS Bridge tunnel freeway signage overpass pump houses temporary power and smart vehicles For each of these and many other cases end users looking to implement o grid connectivity need access to a standardized package which is easily implemented tough enough for the environment economical to install and operate and able to o er enough exibility for varied applications and future expansion Figure 1 Because Quantum Automation serves many end user clients and systems integrators SIs in the aforementioned industries as well as others the need for a reliable and cost effective off grid automation and monitoring solution was clear An easy to implement package could speed deployments but it had to be flexible enough to adapt to many types of applications e Quantum team knew it could create a standardized yet customizable design based on best of breed products and technologies Each of the following unique but related aspects would need to be addressed Power Control Communications Cloud connectivity Portability T Figure 1 Off grid monitoring and automation solutions developed by companies like Quantum Automation must address power control and communications concerns while withstanding dif cult environments and coping with often complex logistics All images courtesy of Quantum Automation