AiVibeEnergy Metering (Sub-Metering)
Energy metering measures the consumption of electricity, and often gas, water, steam or compressed air, at the level of sites, buildings, lines or individual machines, providing data for cost allocation, efficiency programmes and energy management.
Electrical energy meters measure voltage and current, using current transformers or Rogowski coils for higher currents, and calculate active, reactive and apparent power, energy in kilowatt-hours, power factor and often harmonics. Sub-meters installed downstream of the utility meter break consumption down by area, process or machine. Meters communicate through pulse outputs, Modbus RTU or TCP, M-Bus, BACnet or wireless links to building management systems, SCADA or IIoT platforms.
Manufacturers use energy metering to identify waste, schedule energy-intensive tasks, verify savings from efficiency projects, allocate costs to products or departments and report energy and carbon data. Correlating energy with production data produces metrics such as energy per unit produced, and machine-level metering can reveal idling equipment and degraded performance. ISO 50001 provides a framework for energy management systems in which metering plays a central role.
Accuracy classes for static electricity meters are defined in the IEC 62053 series, and meters used for billing are often subject to legal metrology requirements. Correct CT ratios, phase connections and polarity are essential, as errors here produce misleading data. Installation in electrical panels involves hazardous voltages and must follow manufacturer documentation and applicable electrical standards, carried out by qualified electrical personnel.
Key points
- Measures energy use from site level down to individual machines
- Electrical meters calculate power, energy and power factor
- Communicates via pulses, Modbus, M-Bus, BACnet or wireless links
- ISO 50001 provides a framework for energy management systems
- IEC 62053 defines accuracy classes for static electricity meters
Where AiVibe comes in
AiAmbA IoT is AiVibe's edge protocol layer: it discovers devices and normalises industrial signals, with supported protocols including Siemens S7, Mitsubishi MC, Delta Modbus, OPC UA and MQTT, and driver availability confirmed per installation. Writes to machines are deny-by-default.
Related terms
- Current Transformer (CT)Industrial IoT & Edge
- Rogowski CoilIndustrial IoT & Edge
- ModbusPLC & Industrial Control
- Industrial IoT GatewayIndustrial IoT & Edge
- Time-Series Database (TSDB)Industrial IoT & Edge
- Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)Industry 4.0 & Manufacturing Operations