Energy Network Analytics: our solution to make heating networks more intelligent

Through Energy Network Analytics, Diehl Metering empowers heat utilities to unlock new value in their heating network without having to make a major investment. This powerful solution transforms existing meter data into valuable intelligence, enabling heat utilities to increase network efficiency, reduce costs and boost customer satisfaction.

Energy Network Analytics: our solution to make heating networks more intelligent Energy Network Analytics: our solution to make heating networks more intelligent
Diehl Metering

Through Energy Network Analytics, Diehl Metering empowers heat utilities to unlock new value in their heating network without having to make a major investment. This powerful solution transforms existing meter data into valuable intelligence, enabling heat utilities to increase network efficiency, reduce costs and boost customer satisfaction.

Energy Network Analytics relies on a fixed network combined with smart heat meters and flow sensors that provide regular data about individual buildings, individual consumptions, and the heat distribution network as a whole. All this information is then transmitted to the powerful Central Data Management software IZAR@NET 2, if hosted locally on the heat utility’s server – or IZAR PLUS PORTAL if they opt for Software as a Service.

The software interprets the data to deliver a clear dashboard of the heat distribution system, providing insightful analytics and useful alarms to alert utilities to anomalies in their heating network. What’s more, our IZAR software offers multi-utility and multi-sensor support, making it possible to combine different parts of the utility’s business on a single platform. Utilities can even work with us as part of our newly-launched IoT Network Planning Service to plan a fully-compliant and future-proof network, ensuring their individual wishes, needs and expectations are catered for, both now and in the future.

Energy Network Analytics is made up of multiple features, with each helping to build a clearer picture of the overall heat distribution network.

  • Swarm Analytics enables utilities to identify high return temperatures in their network, potentially caused by poorly-managed transfer stations, poorly-adjusted heating systems, oversized heating components or disadvantageous heating patterns. For each heat meter, multiple system parameters, such as return temperature and spread (Delta T), are monitored and transformed into charts that allow heat utilities to precisely identify where high return temperatures are occurring so they can quickly address the issues behind them.
  • Smart Leak Detection gathers data from flow sensors and SHARKY ultrasonic heat meters to permanently evaluate flow rates across the network. As soon as an anomaly occurs, the meter sends a notification with information about the location and nature of the problem. Through customization, leakage alarms can be forwarded to consumers, helping to grow customer satisfaction.
  • Heat Distribution Optimizer helps utilities to identify heat loss caused by issues such as aging pipelines or inadequate insulation. By permanently monitoring flow temperatures at multiple points, it determines the temperature in the pipes to a very high degree of accuracy. Using IZAR software, heat utilities can define their own thresholds for alerts – and be immediately notified to early signs of heat loss.
  • Boiler Efficiency Analysis compares the energy brought into the boiler by gas with the thermal energy captured by SHARKY heat meters. It then calculates the efficiency of the boiler as a percentage relative to the claimed efficiency of the manufacturer, allowing utilities to monitor their boiler’s performance over the long term and optimize lifetime costs.
  • Map Layers provide utilities with a clear overview of their network, allowing them to visualize the precise geographic location of different devices and meter endpoints – and to pinpoint the places where they need to intervene.
  • Digital Twin Simulation allows virtual meters to be created by collecting data from numerous neighboring devices and then calculating consumption values for a given building, group of buildings, or any sub-section of a network. In this way, utilities can monitor overall network energy efficiency even more accurately and identify further opportunities for cost savings.

Through this multi-faceted approach, Energy Network Analytics creates new value in any heating network equipped with Diehl Metering heat meters and flow sensors. The solution capitalizes on the wealth of data already available in the network to provide unique, actionable insights. For heat utilities, this represents an affordable way to make significant gains in productivity, optimize costs and increase customer satisfaction. It also helps to drive sustainability for both the utility and the community it serves. In this way, Energy Network Analytics forms part of Diehl Metering’s commitment to empower a sustainable future for everyone, everywhere.