Stratus

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Sponsored by Amazon Web Services

Energy intensive industrial applications, such as those at Amazon Web Services’ (AWS)  data centers, require precise monitoring of electrical grid infrastructure on a worldwide scale.  However, the traditional meters currently found at data center locations exhibit a multitude of  inefficiencies regarding cost, complexity and performance. First off, customarily cable-based  meters necessitate wasteful amounts of distinct network cables that must carry hundreds of  parameters across large data centers. Intermediate devices are also required to translate data  between transmission protocols. Secondly, all meters are polled periodically by a master server  which creates a single point of failure in the data delivery system and a fault intolerant system  overall. Lastly, traditional deployment of these meters, in addition to the installation of extensive  wiring, often requires manual entry of every serial number and polling configuration into the  system ahead of construction. All in all, lengthy cabling, polling architectures, and complicated  installation lend the current systems to be extremely expensive, rigid and unscalable.  

Gridmon addresses the limitations of previously utilized metering by consolidating data  cabling into one wireless system, thereby improving data transmission, cost, and scalability. The  meter self identifies based on its location as well as collect and send telemetry data over a  wireless network, hence eliminating the need for polling.  

The energy and data monitoring provided by Gridmon offers an excellent solution to  industrial companies with this problem. By consolidating electrical grid monitoring into precise  wireless units, companies can reduce deployment costs and complexity while increasing  efficiency and scalability. Amazon in particular can decrease spending on electric grid  monitoring necessary to ensure the safety and reliability of their manufacturing centers.  Additionally, businesses that utilize Amazon Web Services to optimize their production lines  will benefit from dependable service to their facilities and higher financial returns. Regular Amazon customers should see better quality products or lower costs due to increased production  rates. Coming to market soon, this product could revolutionize other energy intensive sectors or  improve manufacturing for all.

Gridmon creates a modernized platform for ease of deployment and use. Traditional  meters required complex cabling, while Gridmon supports a completely wireless communication  protocol. On top of this, Gridmon communicates directly to the master server, removing the need  for an intermediate relay device. This not only saves the user money, but also time. Gridmon  allows for a precise breakdown of the real power, apparent power, and reactive power. All of this  data is made more accessible through a direct connection to a cloud interface. This information  allows for companies to identify areas which require improvement. A few of these examples  include fault analytics, business analytics, meter location maps and trend monitoring. Gridmon  aims to extend the functionality of traditional meters, providing the user with a straightforward  interface full of processed and useful data.