Introduction
This is a case study of EpiSensor an SME-size company from the Energy Industry.
Over the next few years, we’ll see millions of devices that use or create energy connected to the Internet. This is a big step towards a new energy economy and a faster shift to sustainable energy. But traditional systems for measuring and controlling energy aren’t built for this change.
They are generally complex and expensive, which makes it difficult for energy service providers to stay up.
EpiSensor, founded in 2007, is here to help. They want to make it easier for energy companies to expand rapidly and communicate with remote locations.
EpiSensor brings a user-friendly experience to high-quality industrial products that meet top standards for accuracy, security, and reliability.
Their focus is on speeding up the shift to clean energy. With their Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure, EpiSensor helps partners and customers easily track energy use and control remote sites.
This helps grid operators use more renewable energy and allows people to make smart choices that save money and help the environment.
As more people recognize the need to use energy responsibly, EpiSensor is ready to change how we use and spend electricity in many businesses and industries.
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The Challenge of Energy Efficiency
The challenge we face today is that global energy use keeps rising every year, but around 70% of the energy we produce gets wasted because of inefficiencies.
Even more concerning is that about three-quarters of our energy comes from sources that release greenhouse gases. This is why there’s a strong global push to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and to use more renewable energy.
Brendan Carroll, the CEO of EpiSensor, points out, “In the next few years, millions of sites and devices will need to connect to the Internet as we quickly move toward sustainable energy. We have the technology to run our electricity grids entirely on clean, renewable energy, but we need a special communication infrastructure.
This will help energy-using and energy-producing devices understand real-time grid conditions. Traditional systems just aren’t built for this.”
EpiSensor's team looked at traditional providers and found that while these systems were accurate and secure, they were often closed, complicated, and costly.
To create the needed infrastructure, EpiSensor started from scratch to integrate and automate every part of the system, removing barriers that slowed down energy services without losing the strengths of traditional systems.
They aimed to make their solution easily scalable so that organizations of any size could tailor a system to fit their needs. They also wanted it to be user-friendly, offering a consumer-class experience to ensure that it could be widely used and easily adopted.
Recently, EpiSensor has put a lot of focus on demand response, which helps electricity grid operators balance supply and demand.
By encouraging customers to lower their energy use during peak times, this tool is vital for transitioning to cleaner energy. EpiSensor wanted to lead this effort by designing a highly accurate, scalable, and secure IoT infrastructure for demand response.
Another key factor for EpiSensor was data security. Brendan Carroll highlights, “Data security in commercial IoT programs is crucial.
It protects sensitive information, prevents unauthorized access, helps avoid cyberattacks, ensures user privacy, complies with regulations, maintains business reputation, supports operational continuity, and safeguards intellectual property.”
That’s when EpiSensor discovered that Raspberry Pi could help them achieve all these goals.
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EpiSensor's Innovative IoT Gateway Solution
The solution that EpiSensor created is truly impressive. Founded in 2007, the company entered the tech world at an exciting time.
Brendan Carroll, the CEO, recalls, “We noticed three major technology launches that were game-changers: AWS introduced a new kind of cloud computing, the iPhone changed how we view mobile devices and user experience, and new standards like ZigBee allowed wireless sensors to communicate securely and with low power.” With this new technology in mind, EpiSensor aimed to tackle energy and efficiency challenges through what we now call the Internet of Things (IoT).
Their most recent creation, the API-enabled Gateway, which is based on the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4, is the result of their journey.
The EpiSensor Gateway is a compact, high-performance device that connects wireless sensor network data directly to the Internet of Things platforms of its partners and customers.
As Brendan explains, “It’s a robust, secure embedded computer equipped with an IoT app store and various communication options like ZigBee, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 4G cellular, LoRa, GPS, CAN bus, and RS-485.” EpiSensor has made it much easier for users by automating many setup steps that usually require technical expertise. Essentially, the Gateway can configure and test itself.
Brendan adds, “EpiSensor’s Gateway is at the core of our advanced IoT solutions. It’s secure, developer-friendly, and offers data in open formats.”
One of the biggest advantages of EpiSensor’s IoT technology is how easily it can be deployed and integrated with existing systems, such as building management systems (BMS) or SCADA, as well as cloud-based solutions that manage energy or demand response.
The company provides tools that allow for quick custom integrations, and partners can use EpiSensor’s extensive list of pre-built integrations to connect to leading energy services platforms with just a few clicks.
As the Gateway collects real-time data from wireless sensors, users can access this information through a web interface and mobile apps.
This allows for remote monitoring and management via the Gateway's API or through Core, EpiSensor’s device management platform. Users can see real-time system performance, easily adjust configurations, and visualize how all the nodes connect over the wireless mesh network.
Brendan sums it up well: “Our goal is to be ten times quicker and easier to deploy than traditional systems, which means our partners can scale energy solutions much faster.”
This enables facilities managers, system integrators, energy service companies, energy managers, and SaaS providers to implement top-notch energy management, demand response, and environmental monitoring programs with a low-cost, easy-to-deploy IoT infrastructure.
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Why EpiSensor Trusts Raspberry Pi for Their IoT Technology
EpiSensor made a smart choice by using Raspberry Pi for their technology. They have a strong team in Ireland and experienced leaders who know how to grow tech companies. Brendan Carroll, the CEO, says that many big companies trust their IoT systems now.
Instead of making their own computer part, EpiSensor found Raspberry Pi to be a simple and good option. Brendan says, “We like Raspberry Pi because it is cheap, reliable, and works well.
The best part is the helpful community.” Since many people use Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (CM4), if they have a tough problem, someone has likely already fixed it. That’s why they prefer Raspberry Pi.
The Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 is quite powerful. It has a strong processor and runs a secure system called Ubuntu Core, which has an app store for IoT.
This helps EpiSensor add new features to their Gateway, like machine learning. The CM4 also works in different temperatures, runs quietly, uses less power, and stays cool without fans, making it very reliable in tough conditions.
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EpiSensor’s Success with Raspberry Pi in Energy Management
EpiSensor works with many energy service companies across more than 20 countries. Their products are well-liked for being easy to use, set up, and scale. Customers praise how well EpiSensor’s solutions fit into energy systems.
Brendan Carroll, the CEO of EpiSensor, says, “We work with big companies like Enel X, the largest Demand Response Aggregator, Veolia, a leader in energy management, and Capula, a systems integration expert. Together, we collect and send energy data every second, all over the world.”
Thanks to Raspberry Pi, EpiSensor is ready for future growth in the energy management market, which is expected to reach $10 billion by 2024. This growth is driven by rising energy costs, environmental rules, the push for net-zero emissions, and the use of renewable energy.
Demand response, one of EpiSensor’s key services, is also growing fast. It helps grid operators manage changes in energy supply from renewable sources. Cristina Coffey, EpiSensor’s CSO, explains that Raspberry Pi technology allows them to offer demand response programs.
These programs help create Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) that bring together resources like batteries, EV chargers, and industrial equipment. VPPs are important for building a sustainable energy future.
Source: “EpiSensor energy management” https://www.raspberrypi.com/success-stories/episensor-energy-management/. Raspberry Pi, Accessed 30 September 2024.
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Conclusion:
EpiSensor’s partnership with Raspberry Pi has helped the company build a smart, scalable, and secure energy management solution. By using Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4, EpiSensor has created a powerful and easy-to-deploy IoT infrastructure that supports the global push for clean and sustainable energy. Due to their technology, organizations may lessen their environmental impact, save costs, and manage energy use more effectively. With the assistance of Raspberry Pi, EpiSensor is well-positioned for future growth as the energy sector continues to change, spearheading innovation in energy management.
