In 2019, started a large project for the Mega Image store network. Its objective was to implement a system for monitoring the temperature of refrigeration equipment, BMS control, recording electricity and water consumption. At the beginning of 2022, the system was implemented in 819 of the 900 stores of the Ahold Delhaize group.
The technology underlying the refrigeration equipment monitoring and BMS control is managed by a Boss Carel monitoring system and is divided into two categories: the first refers to temperature monitoring and the second to BMS control and recording electricity consumption and water. The first category includes monitoring stores through wireless sensors and Carel controllers or thermostats. The advantages of wireless sensors are that they can be used regardless of the type of controller or thermostat that is part of the refrigeration equipment and that it is not necessary to create a wired communication network. The wireless sensors are powered by a battery that has a lifespan of 3 to 8 years, depending on the desired sampling rate.
Among the benefits of using Carel controllers or thermostats can be mentioned the reading and modification of the controller parameters, but also the direct and easy access to a wide range of extremely useful information (defrost status, fan, lighting, etc.).
Equipment with hot technology, light advertisements, beverage refrigerators, air curtains, and the like that support the activity of stores are monitored and controlled according to an individual operating schedule, but also by certain external factors (outside temperature, light intensity, etc. ) with the help of a PLC from the CpCO Carel family that works based on a software developed by the Technoelectric team. Also, the take-up of electricity consumption is done by using energy meters connected directly to the monitoring system through the RS 485 data network, water consumption is recorded using reed relay water meters, and all pulses are taken over and processed by a PLC. The items listed provide the end-user, on a single page, with the information needed to optimally monitor the operation of each store.
Each store entered in the server is located by configuring geographical coordinates and can be easily viewed on the map. Reports and benchmarking are generated from Remote Pro and include key information about refrigeration equipment operations, normal energy or water consumption based on certain factors (sales area, number of refrigerator consumers, and more), and automatic report generation. HACCP, and those on the complete situation of alarms generated by refrigeration equipment. All these reports have selection filters that generate new ones depending on the selected period, the type of MT / LT refrigeration system, the geographical area, and the service or maintenance company. They are an effective tool for verification and control so that both the end-user and the technical departments receive an overview of the state of the monitored installations and easily observe the effects of changes in the installations.