A concrete manufacturing facility in Hungary, specialising in prefabricated reinforced concrete structures, is committed to sustainability by integrating solar panel fields and a battery storage system into its operations.
To efficiently capture and manage solar energy, the factory implemented an advanced energy storage and solar control system powered by Intellisense’s IoT Server, which is built on a branded version of Sfera Labs’ Strato Pi Base Server. The system optimises energy flow between industrial consumers, storage units, and solar power systems through real-time control and AI-driven analytics, significantly reducing operational costs.
Key features include:
- Automated energy management: balances energy storage and consumption efficiently
- Intelligent inverter control: minimises excess grid feed-in
- AI-powered maintenance: enhances system performance through predictive analytics
- Centralised IoT management: enables remote access and real-time visualisation
The solution leverages the Strato Pi Base Server – a Raspberry Pi-based module enhanced for industrial reliability and safety. With support for multiple communication protocols (Ethernet and RS485) and compliance with industry standards, the Strato Pi Base Server is ideally suited for large-scale energy management applications.
This approach not only bolsters the factory sustainability efforts but also delivers significant improvements in energy efficiency and cost savings.
Solution Elements
The energy storage and control system is built on the IoT Server, a hardware and software solution engineered to meet the stringent requirements of its target applications. The hardware complies with recognised industry standards for electromagnetic compatibility, electrical safety, and emissions. Additionally, to ease integration, the gateway supports multiple communication protocols – including Ethernet and RS485 for green building designs. In alignment with IntelliSense’s solutions, the product also supports the Microsoft developer environment.
To fulfill these criteria, IntelliSense collaborated with Sfera Labs to develop a customised version of the Sfera Labs’ Strato Pi Base Server. This Raspberry Pi-based module delivers enhanced safety, security, reliability, continuity, and fault tolerance, all while ensuring seamless integration. Consequently, it proved to be an ideal choice for the IoT Server implementation.
Strato Pi Raspberry Pi-based industrial server from Sfera Labs
The Strato Pi units significantly enhance the Raspberry Pi by incorporating additional hardware features that make it ideal for professional and industrial applications, where reliability and service continuity are paramount. Designed for safety, security, and fault tolerance, Strato Pi also facilitates seamless integration with industry-standard communication buses and protocols.
The Base version chosen to host the IoT Server includes one Ethernet port, one RS232/RS485 port, a wide-range power supply, a real-time clock, and is housed in a 4 DIN-Rail enclosure. Its configurable hardware watchdog automatically resets the system in case of software issues, ensuring operational safety. An opto-isolator shields the device from voltage transients and electrostatic discharges, while the inclusion of a Microchip ATECC608A secure element chip provides robust data encryption, decryption, and device authentication, mitigating potential cybersecurity threats. Additionally, secure boot functionality helps prevent unauthorised software upgrades.
Strato Pi is well-suited for both residential and industrial environments, with all units fully compliant with low voltage and EMC CE directives, harmonised standards for electromagnetic compatibility, electrical safety, emissions, and the RoHS directive for hazardous substances. They also meet the applicable FCC rules and IC standards.
