--- title: "Factory energy management monitoring | Nexus Observatory" description: "Energy is one of a factory's largest costs and emissions sources, yet most plants know only the bill. Submetering of electricity, gas, steam…" url: https://observatory.global/industries/industry/energy-management/ publisher: Nexus Observatory Inc. updated: 2026-11-02 --- [Nexus Observatory](https://observatory.global/) / [Industry](https://observatory.global/industries/industry/) / [Specialized fields](https://observatory.global/industries/industry/fields/) / **Factory energy management** # Every kilowatt traced to the line that used it. Energy is one of a factory's largest costs and emissions sources, yet most plants know only the bill. Submetering of electricity, gas, steam, compressed air and water by line and machine, with production data, shows where energy goes, where it is wasted and what each saving was worth. [Plan a deployment](https://observatory.global/contact/deployment/) How it works [Station Builder](https://observatory.global/studio/builder/) **Industry**: Industry **Measurements**: 4 **Sources cited**: 3 1. Industry · Factory energy management Only the bill Energy is one of a factory's largest costs and emission sources, yet most plants see only the monthly bill. Without knowing which line, machine or utility uses what, savings are guesses. Energy audits and management systems ask for measured data, and submetering supplies it. 2. What is measured Every utility, by line Submeters at distribution boards and machines measure electricity every minute, flow meters measure gas, steam, compressed air and water on main branches, and line counters bring in production output, so energy can be set against what it produced. Every instrument keeps its calibration and position with the site record. InstrumentsElectricity submeters · Flow meters · Production counters 3. The base node Energy per unit The node computes energy per unit of output for every line, detects base load between shifts and compressed air leaks at night, forecasts the next peak and verifies each saving against a baseline normalised for output and weather. Every value is signed at the node before it leaves. 4. Radio and links On the plant network Most plants have a network, and metering joins it through the edge node. Remote sites and utility buildings without the plant network use cellular. Production data join from the production system for normalisation. When one path fails, the other carries the data. LinksFibre · Public cellular 5. How it works From a night flow to a fixed leak Compressed air flow stays high every night with the lines stopped. The node flags a base load equal to a large compressor. Maintenance walks the network with an ultrasonic detector, finds and fixes a dozen leaks, and the next month's verified saving is recorded against the baseline. 6. From order to operation · Order Scope the energy flows The scope reads bills, single-line diagrams, utility schematics, production data and existing meters. Nexus Observatory Inc. returns the metering plan by significant energy use, the analysis, measurement and verification design and a price per plant and per year. The scope is agreed before any site work begins. [Plan a deployment](https://observatory.global/contact/deployment/) 7. From order to operation · Survey Survey boards and branches Crews survey distribution boards, utility branches and production lines with the energy manager: meter points, current transformer sizes, flow meter positions and network access. Significant energy uses are confirmed. Findings shape the kit for each site before anything is built. 8. From order to operation · Permits Electrical safety Work in live boards follows the plant's electrical safety rules and permits, usually in planned windows. Utility branches are isolated for flow meter fitting. Every permit is kept with the plant record. No crew goes to site before its approvals are in place. 9. From order to operation · Build Build and configure Meters and gateways are configured with the single-line diagram, nodes enrolled with their identities and loaded with line and production mappings. The system is tested together before shipping. Nothing ships until the whole kit has passed its tests together. Test results travel with the kit to the site. [Open the Station Builder](https://observatory.global/studio/builder/) 10. From order to operation · Install Install in planned windows Crews fit meters and current transformers in boards, flow meters on utility branches, and gateways and the node, connecting the production system. Every meter is labelled with its board and circuit. Crews follow the site safety plan throughout the work. 11. From order to operation · Commission Commission against the bill Each node proves its identity. Submeter totals are reconciled with the utility meters, flows with the utility plant, and baselines for each significant use are set from weeks of data normalised for output. Acceptance is recorded with the owner before handover. 12. From order to operation · Operate Find and prove savings Energy managers see energy per unit of output, waste between shifts and peaks. Leaks are fixed, idle machines switched off and peaks shaved, and each saving is verified against its baseline for audits and certification. Every alert and action is kept on the record. 13. From order to operation · Maintain Verify and recertify Meters are checked against utility meters, baselines updated when production changes, software updated in rings, and records prepared for audits and recertification. Every change is kept with the plant record. Maintenance history stays with each site for its whole life. [Book field services](https://observatory.global/contact/field-service/) 14. Data products For energy, maintenance and finance Energy managers and line managers receive energy per unit of output; maintenance teams receive waste and leak alerts; finance and auditors receive verified savings; sustainability reporting receives energy and emissions records, each tied to line, meter and period. Every product can be traced back to its readings. [See the data products](https://observatory.global/data-products/) 15. Evidence Measured and verified The programme follows the energy management system standard, savings follow the measurement and verification standard, and records support the audit and management duties of the energy efficiency directive. Every meter, baseline and saving is kept for auditors and certifiers. The record is kept for as long as the duty lasts. Drawn againstISO 50001 · ISO 50015 · Directive (EU) 2023/1791 16. What you get Mine, plant and port site monitoring Slope radar, tailings monitoring, dust and water, and site connectivity for operations and closure. Delivered as managed service and hardware + software, for mining, heavy industry, ports. Scale: Site portfolios. Service levels are written as numbers you can measure on your own dashboard. [Talk to sales](https://observatory.global/contact/sales-enquiry/) 17. Next step Plan factory energy management with us Tell us the site, the measurements and the rules it answers to. We reply with a survey proposal, a design and a scope for factory energy management. An engineer replies with a survey proposal and a scope, and the plan grows from one site to the network you need, at your pace. [Plan a deployment](https://observatory.global/contact/deployment/) [Open the Station Builder](https://observatory.global/studio/builder/) [Open the Studio](https://observatory.global/studio/) **01** The place and its hazards ## Where it runs, and what can go wrong. Operating contextEnergy management systems follow the international standard, savings are measured and verified to its companion standard, and large enterprises must carry out energy audits or run a certified energy management system under the energy efficiency directive. Submetering makes both possible. Hazards - Bills that show totals but not causes - Compressed air leaks running day and night - Machines left running between shifts - Savings claimed without measurement - Peak demand charges from coincident loads **02** What must be measured ## What, where, how often, and under which rules. Each measurement names where it is taken, how often, and the public standard or regulation behind it. Numbers in the sources column open the cited source below. | Measurement | Where | Cadence | Sources | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Electricity by line and machine | Submeters at distribution boards and machines | Every minute | 1 | | Gas, steam, compressed air and water | Flow meters on main branches | Every minute | 1 | | Production output | Line counters and the production system | Every shift | 2 | | Savings against baseline | Each measure, normalised for output and weather | Monthly | 23 | **03** The observation stack ## From one base unit to a network. The same blocks at every scale: instruments and a base node, a site with its radio, a fleet run as one, and a network federated on the open protocol. 1. **01** Base unit A metering point: electricity and flow meters on an industrial gateway. [Build a station →](https://observatory.global/studio/builder/) 2. **02** Site A plant: every board, line and utility branch on one node, with the production system joined. [Plan a site →](https://observatory.global/contact/deployment/) 3. **03** Fleet Every plant of a company on one energy view. [Managed offers →](https://observatory.global/industries/industry/solutions/) 4. **04** Network Energy and savings records reach auditors, certifiers and reporting through open standards. [The open protocol →](https://observatory.global/protocol/) - **01** Energy and power-quality meter - **02** Flow meter - **03** Compact weather station - **04** OT gateway (OPC UA, Modbus) - **05** Edge node (Wedge) - **06** Cellular modem/router - **07** Fibre terminal Radio and links ### Fibre Most plants have a network; metering joins it through the edge node. Radio and links ### Public cellular Remote sites and utility buildings without the plant network use cellular. Edge computeThe node computes energy per unit of output for every line, detects base load between shifts and compressed air leaks at night, forecasts peaks and verifies each saving against its baseline. PowerMeters run from the boards they measure; the gateway and node run from the plant supply. **04** How it works ## From the instrument to the product. One observation's path, tier by tier, with the interface on every link and a bill of materials below; then how the one node grows to a site, a fleet and federated networks. Factory energy management: data path – of 07 01 Instruments Measurement with sensor identity andcalibration 02 Gateway 03 Node – Wrap in an observation envelope with timequality– Measure quality and uncertainty, attachquality flags– Buffer locally (store-and-forward when thelink drops) 04 Backhaul Commit with transactional outbox andpublish, delivered at least once 05 Site Consumer inbox deduplicates and applieseach record once into governed data 06 Data store Governed product through API, map orexport, correction-aware 07 Products OPC UAModbusISO 50001 records 01 Energy and power-quality meter SDI-12 · RS-485 · Ethernet 02 Flow meter SDI-12 · RS-485 · Ethernet 03 Compact weather station SDI-12 · RS-485 · Ethernet 04 OT gateway (OPC UA, Modbus) Ethernet · RS-485 · CAN · AnalogueI/O 05 Edge node (Wedge) Ethernet · Fibre · USB · RS-485 ·BMC 06 Fibre terminal Fibre · Ethernet 07 Cellular modem/router Ethernet · USB · RS-232 Site MQTT 5 with Sparkplug B Governed data store Versioned, correction-aware Energy per unit of output Waste and leak alerts Verified savings Energy and emissions records RS-485 · Modbus RS-485 · Modbus RS-485 · Modbus Ethernet · opc-ua Ethernet Ethernet Fibre LTE/NR From the instrument to the published product: each band is a tier, each connector names its interface, and the numbers match the bill of materials. Hover or focus a block to trace its path; scroll or step to follow one observation. | Item | Equipment | Data ports | Protocols | Power in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 01 | **Energy and power-quality meter** Meter for voltage, current, power, energy and power quality at a site or on a feeder. | SDI-12RS-485Ethernet | Modbus, IEC 61850 (MMS, GOOSE), DNP3 (IEEE 1815), MQTT 5 | 12 V DC | | 02 | **Flow meter** Open-channel or pipe flow meter (Doppler, ultrasonic, electromagnetic). | SDI-12RS-485Ethernet | SDI-12, Modbus, MQTT 5, OGC SensorThings API | 12 V DC | | 03 | **Compact weather station** All-in-one or compact station for temperature, humidity, pressure, wind and rain at a site. | SDI-12RS-485Ethernet | SDI-12, Modbus, MQTT 5, OGC SensorThings API | 12 V DC | | 04 | **OT gateway (OPC UA, Modbus)** Read-only bridge from industrial fieldbuses and controllers (Modbus, OPC UA, DNP3, IEC 61850, CAN) to the site network, behind a security boundary. | EthernetRS-485CANAnalogue I/O | OPC UA, Modbus, DNP3 (IEEE 1815), IEC 61850 (MMS, GOOSE), MQTT 5 | 24 V DC | | 05 | **Edge node (Wedge)** Rugged edge node that boots from signed media, attests itself and establishes a site cell from little or no infrastructure. | EthernetFibreUSBRS-485BMC | MQTT 5, DMTF Redfish, IEEE 1588 PTP, NTP with NTS, OPC UA | 12 V DC, 24 V DC, 48 V DC, AC mains | | 06 | **Fibre terminal** Optical network terminal or media converter that lands fibre backhaul at a site. | FibreEthernet | IEEE 1588 PTP | 12 V DC, 48 V DC, AC mains | | 07 | **Cellular modem/router** LTE or NR modem or router that uses a public carrier or private network as backhaul. | EthernetUSBRS-232 | 3GPP E-UTRA air interface, 3GPP NR air interface, OMA LwM2M | 12 V DC, PoE | How it scales 01 Instruments Arbitrary qualified sensors and instruments whosemeasurements are ingested with calibration, units,geometry, time, custody and uncertainty. ×n 02 Node The minimum useful deployable unit: server, ruggedappliance, radio node, sensor gateway, satelliteterminal, AI, scientific, vehicle or virtual node. Node Node agent 03 Site The minimum independently operable localgovernance and failure domain: one or more nodesplus local network, identity, policy, evidence,storage, products and operator surfaces. SITE Node Node Node ×n 04 Cluster An optional scale or specialisation domain forscheduling, shared storage, accelerators or datalocality. CLUSTER ×n 05 Fleet Coordinates plans, acknowledgements,convergence evidence, update campaigns andcorrection propagation across nodes and sites. FLEET Fleet controller ×n 06 Federation An exchange of products, capabilities, events orwork across approved, independently administeredtrust domains, using explicit trust, policy,data-locality, version and correction contracts. TRUST DOMAIN TRUST DOMAIN TRUST DOMAIN ×n Verifier Applications Data in the field Telemetry Control Data upstream Control Data upstream Control Exchange Evidence Events Exchange The smallest deployable unit is one node; the same unit is replicated to meet the demand. Nodes form a site, sites may form a cluster, sites and clusters are coordinated as a fleet, and fleets exchange across independently administered trust domains. Each plane is a separate channel with its own open binding. **Data in the field**: MQTT 5 with Sparkplug B; connectors for LoRaWAN, OPC UA and instrument buses. **Telemetry**: OpenTelemetry OTLP. **Control**: TLS 1.3 with mutual authentication; protobuf messages over gRPC or HTTP/2. **Data upstream**: At-least-once publication with repeat-safe keys over the control channel or NATS JetStream; QUIC MAY be used on lossy links. **Evidence**: DSSE-signed in-toto statements; SLSA provenance; SCITT transparency receipts. **Events**: Event envelopes mapped to CloudEvents 1.0; channels described in AsyncAPI 3. **Exchange**: OpenAPI 3.1; the OGC API family; SensorThings; STAC; WIS 2.0. **05** From order to operation ## Every step, from the first call to a running site. The same crew and the same record carry the work from scope to maintenance. 1. 01 Order Scope the energy flows The scope reads bills, single-line diagrams, utility schematics, production data and existing meters. Nexus Observatory Inc. returns the metering plan by significant energy use, the analysis, measurement and verification design and a price per plant and per year. The scope is agreed before any site work begins. 13 2. 02 Survey Survey boards and branches Crews survey distribution boards, utility branches and production lines with the energy manager: meter points, current transformer sizes, flow meter positions and network access. Significant energy uses are confirmed. Findings shape the kit for each site before anything is built. 1 3. 03 Permits Electrical safety Work in live boards follows the plant's electrical safety rules and permits, usually in planned windows. Utility branches are isolated for flow meter fitting. Every permit is kept with the plant record. No crew goes to site before its approvals are in place. 4. 04 Build Build and configure Meters and gateways are configured with the single-line diagram, nodes enrolled with their identities and loaded with line and production mappings. The system is tested together before shipping. Nothing ships until the whole kit has passed its tests together. Test results travel with the kit to the site. 5. 05 Install Install in planned windows Crews fit meters and current transformers in boards, flow meters on utility branches, and gateways and the node, connecting the production system. Every meter is labelled with its board and circuit. Crews follow the site safety plan throughout the work. 6. 06 Commission Commission against the bill Each node proves its identity. Submeter totals are reconciled with the utility meters, flows with the utility plant, and baselines for each significant use are set from weeks of data normalised for output. Acceptance is recorded with the owner before handover. 2 7. 07 Operate Find and prove savings Energy managers see energy per unit of output, waste between shifts and peaks. Leaks are fixed, idle machines switched off and peaks shaved, and each saving is verified against its baseline for audits and certification. Every alert and action is kept on the record. 23 8. 08 Maintain Verify and recertify Meters are checked against utility meters, baselines updated when production changes, software updated in rings, and records prepared for audits and recertification. Every change is kept with the plant record. Maintenance history stays with each site for its whole life. 1 **06** Data products and integration ## What it delivers, to whom, and into which systems. Data products - **Energy per unit of output** Energy managers and line managers - **Waste and leak alerts** Maintenance teams - **Verified savings** Finance and auditors - **Energy and emissions records** Sustainability reporting Integration - **Production system** Output data join from the production system for normalisation. - **Building and utility controls** Peak forecasts reach controls that shed load. - **Reporting** Records feed audits, certification and emissions reporting. Exchanged through OPC UA, Modbus, ISO 50001 records. **07** Questions buyers ask ## Before you scope it. Will it help with the energy audit? Yes. Measured data support the audit and certification. How are savings proven? Against baselines normalised for output and weather. Can it find compressed air leaks? Night and weekend flows show them. Do we need new networks? No. It joins the plant network or uses cellular. **08** Resources ## The sources behind this page. Public standards, regulations and guidance, cited where they apply. Each applies only where its jurisdiction or scope does. 1. **1** [ISO 50001: Energy management systems](https://www.iso.org/) International Organization for Standardization 2. **2** [ISO 50015: Measurement and verification of energy performance of organizations](https://www.iso.org/) International Organization for Standardization 3. **3** [Directive (EU) 2023/1791 on energy efficiency](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/) European Union · 2023 **09** Related ## Use cases and solutions. [Solution Mine, plant and port site monitoringSlope radar, tailings monitoring, dust and water, and site connectivity for operations and closure.Solutions for industry →](https://observatory.global/industries/industry/solutions/#industrial-site-monitoring) [Solution Power-grid edge and right-of-way monitoringLine temperature and sag, vegetation encroachment from EO and LiDAR, substation sensors and fire-weather at the right-of-way.Solutions for industry →](https://observatory.global/industries/industry/solutions/#grid-edge-monitoring) [Solution Sensing as a ServiceObservation networks designed, installed, operated and maintained for a monthly fee: weather, hydromet, air, seismic and environmental stations, with data delivered under a licence.Solutions for industry →](https://observatory.global/industries/industry/solutions/#sensing-service) **10** Industry: specialized fields ## Other fields of this industry. [Specialized field Chemical and process plantsGas detection, stack emissions, thermal imaging and site weather at chemical and process plants, joined in one record for safety, environmental permits and the people living nearby.The full field →](https://observatory.global/industries/industry/process-plants/) [Specialized field Machine condition monitoringVibration, temperature and power sensing on pumps, motors, fans, compressors and conveyors, analysed at the edge so maintenance teams fix machines before they fail.The full field →](https://observatory.global/industries/industry/machine-condition/) [Specialized field Workplace dust, noise and heatFixed and wearable sensing of dust, gases, noise and heat stress on factory floors, so health and safety teams keep exposure below limits and act where it rises.The full field →](https://observatory.global/industries/industry/workplace-exposure/) ### Bring us the site. 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