Manufacturing companies, especially those in energy-intensive industries, are faced with major challenges. Mandatory energy audits, tax concessions, and various government grants as well as the promotion of energy management systems contribute to more energy efficiency. The keywords here are DIN EN 16247-1, ISO 50001, and EMAS (Eco Management and Audit Scheme). In recent years, these measures have supported growing interest in energy management systems in the industrial environment.

Hannover Messe is acting on this development with its special Digital Energy presentation in Hall 12. Operators of industrial installations and buildings, mechanical engineers, energy managers, and auditors can learn more about technologies that can be used to record, visualize, and evaluate energy data in order to improve their energy consumption. They can also discover how digitalization and new technologies such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) can be of use in this endeavor.

This special presentation at the Energy trade fair focuses on certifying energy management systems in accordance with ISO 50001, integrating manufacturing data with energy data from the surrounding buildings, intelligent light regulation concepts, and building control and communication systems. In addition, exhibitors will discuss how to introduce energy management systems at the user forum.

At Digital Energy, IngSoft is showcasing itself as a provider of energy management software. Since 1997, the company has developed, sold, and implemented software for energy management. Even though this software specialist from Nuremberg is featuring its product IngSoft InterWatt in Hannover, the company also provides "turnkey energy transparency" with services and hardware components from partner companies. "Transparency in terms of energy consumption is the foundation of all goal-oriented energy management. A lot of experience is needed to set up and sustainably operate a system that records consumption. Solutions that seem inexpensive at first glance, for example as a part of process measurement and control systems and building services engineering, frequently fail due to due to changes in the monitoring process," says General Manager Karsten Reese. A unique feature of IngSoft’s solution is pattern recognition. It automatically finds the one salient consumption value from among thousands of data streams.

The SME IT developer and service provider ccc software is showcasing, among other things, its energy improvement solution for the manufacturing industry at Digital Energy. The software records energy consumption data and combines it with production data. It therefore captures all consumption data, not just from electricity, water, compressed air, and gas. Clever analysis of all this information enables companies to measurably reduce consumption and costs. "Energy management can do so much more than reduce power consumption. Unfortunately many companies are not aware of this. With the right data it’s often possible to leverage unforeseen potential for improvement, without many organizational adjustments," says Heike Diebler, expert for industrial software at ccc. These are improvements that go beyond the function of simple energy management solutions, leading, for example, to a reduction in downtime costs, improved set up sequences, and systematically controlled process parameters.

"Large control rooms are being used less and less to control and monitor operations; instead, more often than not, employees carry a tablet or mobile device with them to operate, maintain, and control electric installations," says Hans-Jürgen Schmitt, Managing Director of PcVue . During this operational transformation, questions arise as to how quickly the rising flood of process data from the IIoT can be managed and controlled, and how this data can be made available to mobile employees. At Digital Energy, PcVue GmbH, founded in 2006 as a subsidiary of the ARC Group, can answer these questions. The company takes a contextual approach to data acquisition and visualization in the age of the IIoT. It uses the standard technology found in most mobile devices, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, NFC, messaging and QR codes. For its technology, the company received the High Tech Views 2016 Kinetic Process Innovation Award in USA and the Measures Award for Innovation 2016 in France.

Panoramic Power , a subsidiary of the British energy company Centrica, is presenting customized energy management solutions at the sensor level for companies in various sectors at Digital Energy. Founded in 2011, the sensor technology of this company measures all energy resources. The data is analyzed and assessed on a cloud-based analysis platform that enables different calculations to be carried out. This Power Radar allows imminent device failures to be avoided, reduces high energy costs, and improves energy management. "Our solution considerably improves energy efficiency, thereby reducing costs," confirms Jon Rabinowitz, Head of Marketing at Panoramic Power. The special feature of this flexible, scalable energy management solution is that wireless sensor technology is practically maintenance-free and functions according to the "set and forget" principle.

Energy management solutions and innovations for the Internet of Things and Industrie 4.0 will also be presented near the special display in Hall 12. Exhibitors include GE Digital and Hitachi Data Systems.

The special Digital Energy display is located between the Energy and Industrial Automation trade shows. As an official stop on the optically accented "Red Carpet Route – Automation & IT" tour, visitor traffic is guaranteed. Exhibitors will present their solutions for more energy efficiency at so-called kiosks with Internet connections, counters and bar stools. This arrangement makes the special display accessible for first-time exhibitors and startups. In addition, exhibitors from other halls can also feature their energy management solutions at Digital Energy.

The Energy fair this year is not only stealing the show with its new special display, but also with a new partner: Energy 4.0 – Energietechnik. Vernetzt . With a new logo and strategic approach, this media concept is following up on Energy 2.0 – Energy for the Future from publish industry Verlag. This publisher of unique technology media has been an industry partner for over 20 years. The publishers have the industrial sector’s needs at heart and these needs will be addressed in Energy 4.0. Future issues will include concrete techniques that can be applied to transformative challenges facing the power economy now and in the future. Energy 4.0 Energietechnik. Vernetzt will make pave the way for the energy industry with a technical look at smart grids, load management, energy monitoring, storage, sector-coupling, IT security, and data, etc. With this orientation, the media concept fits in perfectly with the Energy fair since "the energy transition will only succeed with the help of new technologies."

For the industrial sector this means that its climate change policy goals can only be achieved by utilizing pioneering concepts for more energy efficiency. Giving up before crossing the finish line is not acceptable. That's why it's important to seek out information and remain open to new concepts and technologies. The special display Digital Energy aids this endeavor by creating a bridge between the Energy and Industrial Automation trade shows.