Technology
Our cloud-based metering application is built upon a concept we call virtual metering , which consists of virtual meter, virtual gateway and virtual network. A real meter can be represented by a virtual meter (to avoid confusion, this term here is different from the virtual meter function that is used to describe flexible grouping of meters). Imagine that you can package the data and functions of the real meter and transfer them to your local computer through a network. Instead of physically being on site every time to access meter data and meter functions, you can now access them through a cloud-based application from anywhere, at any time.
A virtual meter not only simply replicates what the real meter can do, but it can expand a meter's capability. The simplest example is the data storage capacity. A real meter may only back up data for a month by itself due to software or hardware limitations, but using a virtual meter concept, the meter data can be backed up significantly longer on a cloud data server. This simple increase in meter data storage capacity will lead to many benefits, such as using historical data to identify anomalies in meter data readings to monitor meter health status.
Another example is the capability to produce meter readings divided by rates; for example in Ontario, electricity consumption data can be grouped by on-peak, mid-peak, and off-peak based on the time-of-use pricing. This functionality may be built inside the real meter but it will be inefficient for meter companies to customize each meter to reflect the pricing model used for the region the meter will be installed at. Additionally, it will be time consuming and costly to update the pricing formulas in case of regulation changes. These added functionalities can be packaged with meter's build-in functions and meter data to form a virtual meter. The user only needs an application that can decode and access the data and program that emulates built-in and added functions.
In order to support a large variety of meters and data transmission protocols, virtual gateway and network are used to expand communication capability. A virtual gateway can be utilized to consolidate multiple communication protocols into one that is expected by the cloud server. For example, one building may be using Modbus, and another using BACnet. Using a virtual gateway, a virtual data transmission network can be established between various properties and the cloud center. Our in-house developed software, csAdaptor, is an example virtual gateway that can be installed on a local computer to do this job. Additionally, using WebSocket, two-way communication between the meter network and cloud server can be achieved. This will allow meters to send specific data or information at any time outside of the pre-set data upload schedule, for example.
Virtual metering provides simpler and more cost-effective solutions to hardware or software problems and limitations that metering companies may face. Please contact us if you have any questions or inquiries about virtual metering. We welcome collaborations. If you think we can help you turn your business ideas into a reality, let us know.
Virtual Metering
Our cloud-based metering application is built upon a concept we call virtual metering , which consists of virtual meter, virtual gateway and virtual network. A real meter can be represented by a virtual meter (to avoid confusion, this term here is different from the virtual meter function that is used to describe flexible grouping of meters). Imagine that you can package the data and functions of the real meter and transfer them to your local computer through a network. Instead of physically being on site every time to access meter data and meter functions, you can now access them through a cloud-based application from anywhere, at any time.
A virtual meter not only simply replicates what the real meter can do, but it can expand a meter's capability. The simplest example is the data storage capacity. A real meter may only back up data for a month by itself due to software or hardware limitations, but using a virtual meter concept, the meter data can be backed up significantly longer on a cloud data server. This simple increase in meter data storage capacity will lead to many benefits, such as using historical data to identify anomalies in meter data readings to monitor meter health status.
Another example is the capability to produce meter readings divided by rates; for example in Ontario, electricity consumption data can be grouped by on-peak, mid-peak, and off-peak based on the time-of-use pricing. This functionality may be built inside the real meter but it will be inefficient for meter companies to customize each meter to reflect the pricing model used for the region the meter will be installed at. Additionally, it will be time consuming and costly to update the pricing formulas in case of regulation changes. These added functionalities can be packaged with meter's build-in functions and meter data to form a virtual meter. The user only needs an application that can decode and access the data and program that emulates built-in and added functions.
In order to support a large variety of meters and data transmission protocols, virtual gateway and network are used to expand communication capability. A virtual gateway can be utilized to consolidate multiple communication protocols into one that is expected by the cloud server. For example, one building may be using Modbus, and another using BACnet. Using a virtual gateway, a virtual data transmission network can be established between various properties and the cloud center. Our in-house developed software, csAdaptor, is an example virtual gateway that can be installed on a local computer to do this job. Additionally, using WebSocket, two-way communication between the meter network and cloud server can be achieved. This will allow meters to send specific data or information at any time outside of the pre-set data upload schedule, for example.
Virtual metering provides simpler and more cost-effective solutions to hardware or software problems and limitations that metering companies may face. Please contact us if you have any questions or inquiries about virtual metering. We welcome collaborations. If you think we can help you turn your business ideas into a reality, let us know.
LTW Smart Meter Database Engine
LTW Data is dedicated to improve system performance.
We developed our own Smart Meter Database Engine to process large volume and variety of real-time meter data.
The database engine is designed specifically to improve the storing, indexing and querying of the meter data.
Residents/tenants and application users can query historical energy consumption within any time period, and the database engine will be able to return results within
a few milliseconds.
Our high performance database engine also enables flexible grouping of meters (virtual meter function) to give users a wide range of options during energy consumption analysis.
By implementing our own database engine, computing power requirements are significantly reduced, which consequently reduces overall system cost and operation costs for the users.
By implementing our own database engine, computing power requirements are significantly reduced, which consequently reduces overall system cost and operation costs for the users.
Cloud-based Application
Our products are mainly cloud-based, allowing users to access database and applications from anywhere, at any time.
Some key benefits of a cloud-based platform are the following.
- All meter data are collected, stored and backed up on multiple cloud data centers across North America.
- The entire application can be set up on a new server by a simple copy and paste action, allowing fast recovery in case of server failure or any other unexpected technical issues.
- There will be no need for investing on high-grade data and application servers and resources for setting up and maintaining servers.
- We will handle everything for software updates, so you will not have to do any installation or set up work yourself.
- New security updates will be immediately incorporated in your application.
LTW Script Language
The metering and billing industries are very dynamic.
There are always new requirements from either customers or the regulatory bodies, leading to constant modifications to the software.
To address these requirements in a timely manner, we developed LTW Billing Script Language .
This is a simple and easy-to-use programming tool that allows users to add or modify common functions in just
a few lines of code.
This also reduces the costs of system upgrade/support.