Evaluating multi-site portfolios in the critical infrastructure.

Berlin. August 2021. Recently, ActiveEnergy traveled for some interesting installations. The installations of our MobileHubs took place within the critical infrastructure in Europe. We had to take a plane to be able to undertake those, being fully vaccinated of course. And while traveling is time-consuming and exhausting due to Covid, it was obviously very exciting for ActiveEnergy. Not only because of the installations but also because some of us hadn’t been to an airport or on a plane since mid-2019. Also, it so happened that we flew from and to the new Berlin Brandenburg (BER) Airport. But let’s not go into our impressions of this building but leave it at: new airport, new normal.

As exciting as all this has been and still is, we are currently not able to share information on the exact whereabouts. The sector though, as mentioned before, is one of critical infrastructure.

What is critical infrastructure?

Our modern society depends on technical systems. We would not be able to live the way we do if we were not supplied with fresh water in our kitchens and bathrooms. We would not be able to stay in contact with people, work or be informed if we had no well-functioning information and communication technology. Most of our handy everyday devices would not work if we didn’t have electricity. Organizations and facilities that provide us with all this comfort and opportunity are called critical infrastructures. They stand for a no failure option. Without them, we would have to face significant disruptions. In Germany, organizations from the following fields are counted among the critical infrastructures:
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– energy supply
– information technology and (tele-) communications
– transport
– health
– finance
– government and administration
– media and culture
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Critical Infrastructure and ActiveEnergy

The operators of these critical infrastructures, regardless of whether they are privately or publicly organized, provide services that are essential for supplying us with stability. These organizations, like the critical communication infrastructure, in turn, need basics like fuel, electricity, and water to function properly. This is where ActiveEnergy comes in.Our ActiveEnergy solution offers clarity on energy and CO2 consumption, as well as unlocking 13% energy and CO2 savings. The installations we performed, took place in the critical communication infrastructure where electrical energy consumption is high, as these systems run 24/7.During our mission, ActiveEnergy completed four installations of the MobileHub, our measuring kit, in the critical communication infrastructure. And while one installation was close to where we stayed, to be able to perform the rest of them, we had to do a lot of driving. A wonderful circumstance that enabled us to see diverse landscapes, going up hills with wonderful views, and see cathedrals and castles from afar. We did two installations per day and all of them turned out to be beautifully smooth.

MobileHub Installations

While the installations went super well, on the second day we had to get up at 5:30. And let me tell you, that’s not everyone’s best time of the day. But as different people need different amounts of sleep and luckily some of us basically do not need any, we got everything done. Even though we were in a different country than Germany, still being in Europe, the four installations of our MobileHubs were almost the same as back home. The electrical cabinets are no different, and our team is well trained to operate in several countries without any difficulties.

What is a MobileHub?

With our MobileHubs, we can temporally track the energy consumption of buildings or locations. MobileHubs were specially developed in-house to do exactly this, and they are installed for a short amount of time only. The measurement of energy consumption is usually trackable with permanently installed measuring devices. This also happens when we implement our full ActiveEnergy solution. But for a first measurement of the energy consumption, ActiveEnergy needed and developed a temporary measuring kit – the MobileHub. Following, the results of those measurements can be utilized to calculate the possible CO2 and energy savings of ActiveEnergy. We install the MobileHub for 2-4 weeks and as a result, get data on the entire energy consumption of a location. This way we have detailed information on:
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The energy consumption
Voltages
The power quality
Consumption peaks
Irregularities
CO2 emissions

In the next step, EnergyLabs calculates the energy and CO2 saving potential, based on the energy consumption data of the locations.

Energy Consumption in the Communication Infrastructure

So why is it important to see how much energy is consumed in the critical communication infrastructure? In some places, they might have the newest and most energy-saving technology in use. But necessary locations, like antennas, run 24/7. And thus, the energy consumption is high. To know the details of energy consumption and emitted CO2 gives clarity. This allows improvement in managing the locations better and improving the product or service for the customer. But most importantly it gives our partners the exact knowledge about their carbon footprint. They can communicate their decarbonization efforts and exact savings.

While most of us nowadays agree that it is everybody’s responsibility to do as much as one can for the climate and reduce personal CO2 emissions this also counts for companies. To first know all about the energy consumption and emitted CO2, secondly gives the opportunity to implement saving solutions like ActiveEnergy which uses voltage optimization.EnergyLabs is very happy to offer clarity in this special case in the critical communication infrastructure and to be considered in the CO2 and energy-saving process. After all, our mission is to turn all buildings into active protectors of the environment.