PLC Group

Element Management System

 Agenda
01 ● PLC Group Deployment for Bell

02 ● Element Management System (EMS)

● Element Management System Advantages

● EMS Security Enablement

● EMS Bulk Configuration Example

03 ● AxIn Enhancement over EMS

 Installed Inventory Free Air Cooling

~800 ~100

18F1/36F2-FCB 35F1-Split FAC SPL-2800 Flexi Box-400

FCU-2400

~10

TCU800-Mini TCU-Mini-T TCU-Micro

TCU-Mini-T+ TULIP-I
Off Grid Sites

18F1/36F2-FCB

RMC-1200
Installed Inventory HVAC
~30
~120

TCU-NG2 Backup
Mobilecool Unicool
Thermostat

TCU800 Mini
ASMUC TCU-NG2
ASLLC
TCU-Mini-T and TCU-Mini-T+ Controllers

TCU-Mini-T H=9” , W=11” , D=5” TCU-Mini-T+ H=15” , W=11” , D=5”

I/O
Software & Configurations in Bell Network

● Bell LMRN S/W Version

● Off Grid Sites
● LRT & TTC Sites
● Free Air Cooling Sites
● ~6 Year Long Partnership
Total Sites : 1000+
Win Strategic Partner for
● 1000+ sites for RMS & Cooling Public Safety Network

● Strategic Partner for new Site RMS &

Cooling since 2020

● Strategic Partner for Public Safety

Network monitoring Remote Monitoring
and Control & HVAC
POC
● Innovation Partner on Carbon footprint
Reduction & ISO certification.
PLC Group Controller Scenario
Individual Unit
1. 1000+ Controllers
2. Sending Alarm to NOC using dry contacts Major/Minor (needs SNMP integration)
3. Managed manually through individual Web GUI Login
Gaps
1. Operating independently, no fleet view
2. Lack of visualizing the status at a glance across the network
3. Unable to broadcast parameter changes or software in bulk to sites
4. Sorting or trending capabilities across geographical areas to identify weak operation (not
in alarm)
5. Centralized data warehouse
6. Live Net Carbon Footprint
Controller Inventory and Status

● Live spreadsheet and/or location on map

● Connectivity details: Online & Connected
● Status-at-a-Glance: Alarms or errors, temperatures, I/O
● Present Data Collection: Raw parameters
● Collection Frequency: 5m, 15m, 30m
● Deposit data into Data Lake?
AxIn Ecosystem

Element Management
System

Software Update
Configuration Mgmt
Alarms Mgmt
Performance
Monitoring
Fault Mgmt
Security Mgmt
Inventory Mgmt
Service Activation
Policy Mgmt
Actionable
Intelligence
Off Grid Site - Dashboard
Solar Performance Dashboard
Solar Performance Visibility
Battery Performance Dashboard
Complete Site Monitoring (Power & Cooling)
Element Management System
Element Management System Advantages

● Centralized Device Management

● Bulk Software & firmware Updates
● Network Wide One click Configuration Management
● Geographic Dashboard for Alarms/Status/
● Increased Visibility and Operational Compliance
● Data-Driven Insights and Reports
Security By Design using EMS
● Secure Boot Process
● Comprehensive System Logging
● Secure Parameter/ Firmware Update Mechanism
● Periodic Password Rotation
● Role-Based Access Control
● State-of-the-Art Data Encryption
● Security Patches as required
● Network Intrusion Detection/Prevention System (NIDS/NIPS)
● Secure Communication Protocols (TLS/SSL)
● Device Authentication and Authorization (AAA & RADIUS Integration)
● Security Event Monitoring and Alerting
● HTTPS certificate management
Examples of Upgrades easily done with an EMS

Dirty Filter Detection

● Outdoor Temperature - Indoor Temperature = Delta T
● Delta T at 100% fan speed = Maximum Heat Removal
● Delta T will increase with more load dissipation, or reduction in air flow due to dirty filter or
screen.
● Possibility to model Delta T at less than 100% fan speed? Detect dirty filter too?

Uniform Alarms Management

● PLC Gateway can provide a stable alarm I/O, to relieve BBU inputs, or future BBU
swap-out issues affecting site alarm.
● Provide SNMP alarms direct to WNOC
● Status-at-a-Glance from Element Manager
AxIn Enhancement over EMS
 AxIn/EMS Opex Reduction Areas

REDUCE SITE COOLING DELTA EARLY FILTER FILTER LIFE TEMPERATURE REDUCE
VISITS DETECTION CLOG EXTENSION OPTIMIZATION HEATER
DETECTION EXCESSIVE RUN
 Ancillary Benefits

1 2 3 4 5

Dynamic Repetitive Predictive Optimized Integration of

Threshold Failure Alarm Alarm Environmental
Implementation Detection Scheduling Prioritization Data
• Introduce • Implement • Develop • Refine • Incorporate
dynamic algorithms to predictive prioritization to temperature
thresholds for detect repetitive scheduling to respond and humidity for
high-temp failures, anticipate promptly to context-aware
alarms to enhancing malfunctions critical alarms alerts and
optimize efficiency and and enable while improved
frequency on reducing proactive minimizing false response.
warm days. downtime. maintenance. alerts.
AxIn/EMS Energy & Carbon Footprint Management

Pre-cooling at night can reduce daytime cooling energy

Integration with Weather Data by up to 20%.

Optimizing heating and mechanical cooling operations

Carbon Footprint Reduction can lead to an annual energy savings of 15%.

A 1°C increase in setpoint temperature can reduce

Impact of Setpoint Changes cooling energy consumption by 5-10%.

Adjusting fan speed for Free Cooling based on

Energy Consumption Estimation weather conditions can save up to 25% in energy
usage.
Other Optimization areas Using AxIn

• Implement ML for proactive equipment failure prediction.

Predictive Maintenance • Utilize energy bots for automated maintenance scheduling.
• Up to 30% reduction in maintenance costs.

• Deploy ML-powered monitoring for anomaly detection.

Remote Monitoring and • Employ energy bots for remote equipment adjustment.
Control • Up to 20% increase in operational efficiency.

• Develop ML algorithms for adaptive cooling optimization.

Automated Optimization • Implement energy bots for real-time efficiency enhancement.
Strategies • Up to 25% reduction in energy consumption

• Utilize ML models to forecast future energy demand.

Energy Consumption • Implement energy bots for optimizing energy usage based on forecast
Forecasting • Up to 15% reduction in energy costs.
 Data Driven Value Adds
Action High-Level Impact on CAPEX/OPEX Potential % Savings Level of Effort
Implementing dynamic alarm thresholds and remote configuration push
Opex Saving can optimize operations, reducing maintenance costs and unnecessary site Significant OPEX Reduction High
visits.
Utilizing remote firmware updates and dirty filter detection algorithms can
Reduce Site Visits Significant OPEX Reduction Medium to High
minimize on-site visits, thereby reducing travel and labor costs.
Implementing adaptive setpoints and fan speed adjustments based on
Cooling
delta temperature can optimize cooling efficiency, resulting in energy Significant OPEX Reduction High
Optimization
savings and reduced operational costs.
Developing algorithms for automated filter change processes can reduce
Dirty Filter
energy consumption and maintenance costs by ensuring filters are Moderate OPEX Reduction Medium to High
Detection
changed only when necessary.
Providing insights into the impact of setpoint changes on carbon footprint
Carbon Footprint Moderate to Significant OPEX
and integrating with weather data for pre-cooling can lead to reduced Medium to High
Management Reduction
energy consumption and environmental impact.
Damper Optimizing damper positioning to regulate airflow and reduce stratification
Positioning can improve energy efficiency and prevent equipment damage, resulting in Moderate OPEX Reduction Medium to High
Optimization reduced operational costs.
Fuel Analysis Sample - Daily Gen run hours vs. Gen Load%

Daily Generator Run

hours

Generator Load %
 Filter Cleaning Pre & Post Analysis

Average Reduction (< 60%) in Fan Speed Hrs ~ 4 Hours Daily ~ 1kWh Saving/day/Site
Average Saving per Site ~ 300 kWh
Sample Dashboard for Site Performance
Predictive Outage
 How Data can solve Challenges?

Results
AxIn OPEX

DATA AVAILABILITY

CAPEX

Actionable
Intelligence TCO

ROI

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 Actionable Intelligence Beyond EMS

EMS What’s more in RESULTS

Platform AxIn ?
• Improved Sustainability & Green
Monitoring
• Precision CAPEX Planning
Actionable Root Cause & Planning &

Outpus
Insights Gap Analysis Forecasting
Intelligent Performance Predictive
• Reduced Site Outages Infrastructure
Reporting Power Control Analysis Analytics
Data-driven
ML & AI Algorithms
• Energy & OPEX Optimization
KPIs Governance
decisions

Alarms • Optimized Assets Lifecycle and ROI

3 • Data- Driven Audit & Governance

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 Common Parameters Available on Controller

Parameter Description

System Mode Indicates the current operating mode of the HVAC system: Free Cooling, Compressor, Heating, or Idle.

Delta_T Temperature difference between two points within the HVAC system, often indicating system efficiency.

Indoor Temperature Ambient temperature measured within the conditioned space.

Outdoor Temperature Temperature measured outside the building or facility.

Supply Air Temperature Temperature of the air being supplied into the conditioned space by the HVAC system.

ACPWR status Status of air conditioning power, indicating whether the system is running.

Supply Fan Speed Speed of the supply fan within the HVAC system.

Damper Position Position of dampers controlling airflow within the HVAC system.

Heater Status Status of the heating element within the HVAC system.

Free-Cool Status Indicates whether free cooling functionality is active in the HVAC system.

Compressor Status Indicates the status of the compressor within the HVAC system.
End to End Digital Transformation of Energy Infrastructure

www.plcgroup.co
 AxIn - Typical Savings Areas

10-15% 10-15% 10-12%

Theft Energy Optimization Asset Relocation
Reduction

Monthly
5-8% 2-5%
NW Accurate Planning
Improvement

15% to 30%
OPEX Reduction
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www.plcgroup.co
mm
 THANKYOU
Contact Us:
[email protected]

Phone:
+1.855.752.4787
24/7 SUPPORT

PLC Group Inc.

C1 –1115 Crest lawn Drive,
Mississauga Ontario L4W 1A7, Canada

@plcgroupinc
Internal Working
AxIn - Typical Savings Areas
ROI
Precision Optimization
CAPEX
Reduce
OPEX Downtime
Governance

www.plcgroup.co
m
Some Ideas

Load Balancing Between Compressors Preventative Maintenance Schedule

Adjust Fan Speeds Energy Performance Monitoring
Damper Positioning Temperature Monitoring and
Zoning
Temperature Set Points
Operational Schedules
Free-Cooling Utilization
Integration with Weather Data
Humidity Control
Analytical Review with AxIn
OPEX Saving & Cooling Optimization
Objective: Reduce energy consumption and optimize cooling efficiency using Free Cooling and dynamic control strategies.

Action Plan:

● Implement Dynamic Setpoints: Use outdoor and indoor temperature data to adjust cooling setpoints dynamically. For
example, increase setpoints during cooler nights to leverage lower outdoor temperatures for Free Cooling.
Formula: Adjust setpoints based on the outdoor-indoor temperature difference (Delta_T) and historical data trends.
● Optimize Fan Speed: Implement algorithms that adjust fan speed based on Delta_T rather than fixed temperature
thresholds.
Formula: Fan Speed % = f(Delta_T), where the function f defines the relationship between Delta_T and the desired fan
speed percentage.
● Utilize Weather Data Integration: Use weather forecasts to pre-cool sites during anticipated cool nights, reducing
reliance on mechanical cooling during peak hours.
Action Items:
● Integrate weather forecasting APIs.
● Analyze historical temperature data vs. energy consumption to create predictive models for pre-cooling.
Reduce Site Visits & Maintenance Optimization
Objective: Decrease the need for physical site visits through remote monitoring and management, focusing on
high-temperature events and filter maintenance.

Action Plan:

● Dirty Filter Detection: Develop algorithms that identify clogged filters based on increases in Delta_T and implement
differential pressure sensor algorithms for more accurate filter management.
Formula: If Delta_T > Threshold or Differential Pressure > Set Limit, then flag for inspection.
● Remote Firmware Updates and Configuration Pushes: Schedule and deploy firmware updates remotely to ensure
optimal performance and introduce new efficiencies without site visits.
Action Items:
● Develop a scheduling system for firmware updates during low-activity periods.
● Implement a secure remote configuration management system for HVAC systems
Dynamic Alarm Thresholds
Objective: Implement a dynamic alarming system that adjusts thresholds based on external conditions, preventing
unnecessary alerts and focusing attention on genuine issues.

Action Plan:

● Develop Dynamic Alarming: Use Delta_T, dT/dt (rate of temperature change), and outdoor temperature data to adjust
alarm thresholds dynamically.
Formula: Alarm Threshold = f(outdoor temperature, Delta_T, dT/dt), where the function f adjusts thresholds based on
these inputs.
● Monitor Global Metrics and Operate Status: Aggregate data across sites to identify trends and outliers, prioritizing
actions for sites with off-normal operations.
Action Items:
● Aggregate data in AxIn for global visibility.
● Implement trend analysis to identify sites requiring attention.
Carbon Footprint Reduction
Objective: Optimize operations to reduce the carbon footprint, focusing on Free Cooling, efficient heating, and minimizing
mechanical cooling.

Action Plan:

● Estimate Impact of Setpoint Changes: Model the carbon footprint impact of different setpoint strategies, promoting
adjustments that favor Free Cooling.
Formula: Carbon Impact = Energy Consumption x Carbon Intensity Factor. Adjust this model based on setpoint
changes.
● Energy Consumption Estimation: Use fan speed and operation mode data to estimate Free Cool energy usage,
optimizing for minimal carbon footprint.
Action Items:
● Integrate carbon intensity factors by region.
● Develop energy consumption models based on fan speed and HVAC mode.
Implementation Steps for All Areas

Data Integration: Ensure all relevant data points (temperature, fan speed, damper
position, etc.) are being captured by AQue and fed into AxIn.
Algorithm Development: Develop and test algorithms based on the formulas
provided, focusing on dynamic adjustments and predictive models.
System Testing and Optimization: Deploy algorithms in a controlled test
environment to evaluate effectiveness and optimize performance.
Deployment: Roll out successful strategies across operational sites, monitor
performance, and adjust as needed for continuous improvement.
Areas of Interest for Bell
Opex Saving

● Reduce Site Visit (for High Temperature Visit,Filter change )

○ Dynamic alarm threshold, which can adjust itself based on outdoor temperature, alarming on Delta T, dT/dt rapid
excursion from trend-line, or higher absolute threshold.
○ Filter Change due to Clogged Filter, Reduce Fan speed to elongate filter life. Modulate Fan speed based on Delta T
instead of a fixed proportional temperature curve, ie. 100% speed at 27C, vs. fan speed tracks delta T
● Remote Firmware Update, EMS
● Remote configuration push, to easily change selected parameters
● Operating status of PLC equipment across all sites. Global metrics. Identify and prioritize sites for
action with off-normal operation. Look for off-normal trends that do not create alarms.

Cooling Optimization

● Option to Change Setpoints remotely

● Fan Speed Adjustment based on Delta Temperature
● Adaptive/Dynamic Set Points cooling overnight to average down battery temperature.
Areas of Interest for Bell
Dirty Filter Detection

● Identify Clogged filter based on increase of Delta T

● Develop differential pressure sensor algorithm for filter management
● Change only as necessary. Clean sites can extend filter change intervals, while dirty sites get more
attention, with more frequent changes.

Carbon Footprint

● Free Cooling
● Heating
● Mechanical Cooling
● Impact of setpoint change on Carbon Footprint to allow customer to model changes

Energy Consumption Estimation

● Free Cool energy usage based on Fan Speed

Areas of Interest for Bell
Cooling optimization for Sites with FC and Compressor
● Based on History data identify sample for compressor run & Recalculate new Setpoint and
impact to energy, PUE or carbon footprint.
Integration with Weather Data
● Pre-cool site during night with limited fan speed to lower average temperature or if
making use of phase change cooling material.
● Where outdoor sensor is not available, or for comparison
Damper Positioning
● Optimize damper opening to regulate fresh/cold air and avoid winter cold-shock for
battery and any near floor equipment during winter. Recirculate warm air down towards
the floor to reduce stratification.
Accessible Parameters

System Mode Supply Fan Speed

Delta_T Damper Position
Indoor Temperature Heater Status
Outdoor Temperature Free-Cool Status
Supply Air Temperature Compressor Status
ACPWR status where A/C used
● Option to Change Setpoints remotely i.e. Temperature, compressor run
hours, cooling setup points, etc.

● Fan Speed Adjustment based on Delta Temperature

● Adaptive/Dynamic Set Points cooling overnight to average down

battery temperature.