Spinwave unveils wireless pulse counter for remote metering applications.

Spinwave Systems, a provider of wireless mesh sensor networks for the building automation market, introduced a wireless pulse counter for remote metering applications.

"Spinwave's wireless pulse counter is an attractive metering solution for building owners, energy managers and facilities personnel," said Rainer Wischinski, vice president of marketing for Spinwave Systems.

It provides a cost-effective way in which to transmit pulse counter data over large areas without the expense of running wire or laying cables. The low installation cost associated with Spinwave's wireless pulse counter makes it easy to justify the use of more data points in order to better understand and control energy consumption in commercial office buildings, college campuses, shopping malls, strip malls and other multi-unit buildings such as condominiums and apartment complexes.

Spinwave's new pulse counter is used to wirelessly transmit electric, water or gas meter values and make them available to any building automation system. It is suited for both indoor and outdoor applications.

The wireless pulse counter consists of a high-powered radio and a signal conditioning module. The radio is connected through a standard CAT5 cable to the signal conditioning module, providing data and power to the radio. The pulse counter can be battery or line-powered. A set of six D-Cell batteries is provided with the product and will last for up to eight years.

Deployment of Spinwave pulse counters is quick and easy with plug-and-play connectivity and no need for the installation of additional communication lines. And no wires makes it easy to add or relocate monitoring points to accommodate system expansions, changing floor plans or future build-outs.

Using Spinwave's BMS Protocol Interface, accumulated pulses and pulses per time are made available to the building automation system as BACnet, LON or Modbus variables. Alternatively, digital outputs (pulse replication) can be made available to the building automation system using Spinwave's BMS I/O Interface.

Spinwave also offers an all-in-one PC-based solution for remote metering. Through an easy-to-install USB adapter, meter readings and sensor data can be wirelessly made available to Spinwave's Monitoring Software on a PC.

Spinwave's Monitoring Software notifies energy managers and operations personnel via email as soon as a value drifts out of acceptable range. The software periodically uploads current and historic data to a web server for remote meter reading and comfort verification.

Spinwave's wireless pulse counter, along with the entire line of Spinwave wireless sensors, plays an integral role in effective energy management programs. In order to develop and maintain an effective energy management program, you need to first be able to measure, analyze and document current energy usage. Collection and analysis of your actual energy consumption provides a clear picture of comfort levels, where energy is being used, where energy can be saved and whether existing energy conservation procedures are being followed.

The collected data from metering devices (water, gas, electric) can be transferred to a central database for analysis. Energy usage by tenants and individual departments can now be allocated based on their actual energy consumption rather than on an estimate.

The advantage to this method is that it gives consumption responsibility to the tenant or department head. For the owner of multi-unit properties, this method also helps to make the property more attractive as it removes variable utility costs from the standard rent. For manager of campus facilities such as universities, this method provides an incentive for department heads to manage energy wisely and gives them additional advocates to help ensure the success of their energy management program.

Effective measurement and verification of energy usage and indoor comfort levels not only ensures that installation and commissioning of energy retrofits are done correctly, but also provides continuous feedback on the long term success of the current energy management program--all while ensuring a comfortable and healthy environment for a building's occupants.