ZigBee Slashes Industrial Facility’s Energy Bill By 37%

Frankfurt, Germany – April 7, 2008 – MeshNetics, a leading provider of ZigBee modules and embedded software for OEMs and system integrators, and BFM AB, an innovative energy management company, announced today at the Light and Building exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany, the successful deployment of the ZigBee-based energy management system called Link2Web. The wireless system deployed at an industrial facility in Sweden reduced the facility’s energy costs by 37% over the course of one year.

The entire Link2Web system was installed in an industrial building with a total heated area of 3,600 square meters holding one oil-fired boiler and nine air handling units with air heaters and recycling air control. Leveraging in-depth, real-time temperature and energy usage data, the ZigBee wireless sensor network-based system optimized energy management – achieving a dramatic improvement in efficiency that translated to significant bottom-line gains. For a total installation cost of $45,000 USD, the Link2Web energy management system returned annual energy savings in the amount of $34,974 – nearly paying off itself over the course of a single year. Alternatively the Link2Web energy management system can now be rented for a fixed monthly fee with $0 prepayment, enabling immediate savings.

The Link2Web energy management system features multiple wireless sensor and control devices that are connected into a self-healing multi-hop mesh network, capable of rerouting a signal if line-of-sight is blocked. The ZigBee wireless connectivity is enabled by MeshNetics ZigBit RF modules. Every ten minutes, all data collected by the ZigBit modules are sent to the web server, which in turn channels the values over the internet to a SQL database. Operators connect to the database to read and change values, allowing efficient management of the facility’s energy usage. Each time the web server connects to the database, changed values are read and sent back to the local ZigBit-based controllers. In the industrial energy management facility, a wireless module uses this information – including data referencing both outside temperature and inside temperature – to precisely control the radiator temperature.

“Energy management wireless sensor networks such as the ZigBit module-based solution we implemented reflect the tremendous value these networks offer in terms of energy conservation and bottom-line benefits for building owners across any and all industries,” said Richard Hänsel, CEO of BFM AB. “Working with MeshNetics allowed us to stay focused on our core competency while reaping all the benefits of ZigBee wireless technology. We look forward to continuing to use MeshNetics’ industry-leading RF modules in our future solutions.”

Vasiliy Suvorov, CEO of MeshNetics, added: “As energy costs continue to skyrocket and environmental concerns move to the fore, running an energy-efficient business becomes a mission-critical practice. ZigBee, a global standard for the wireless sensor networking, is ideally suited for meeting this challenge. Industry innovators like BFM AB understand this trend. The fact that BFM AB selected our ZigBit modules proves the viability of our ‘one stop shop’ concept. MeshNetics is the only ZigBee module vendor that provides all three components of the wireless solution – hardware, software and engineering services – that together enable the quickest time to market while minimizing development costs.”

BFM AB preferred ZigBee modules as a ZigBee platform for the system design. Unlike chipsets, ZigBee modules already contain all the RF design with all required circuitry and antenna added, eliminating the need for in-house RF expertise and saving development time and costs. Based on the RF performance, power consumption and a form factor, BFM AB selected the MeshNetics ZigBit module as a clear outperformer. Occupying less than a half square inch of space, the ZigBit module achieves a line-of-sight range of over 1,000m and provides an end device battery life of over 5 years.

The components of the Link2Web system will be on display in Stand 9.1 F85 in Building Automation Pavilion at Light+Building 2008 show in Frankfurt, Germany, on April 6 -11, 2008.

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