Comcast’s MachineQ Unveils a Power Monitoring Solution Enabling Companies with Consumption Data to Manage Energy Use

Rhea-AI Summary

MachineQ, a Comcast Company, has launched an IoT-based power monitoring solution to help enterprises manage energy consumption, improve operational efficiencies, and support sustainability efforts. The solution is particularly relevant for high-energy consumers like food service companies, laboratories, and hotels.

The system offers flexible options for monitoring power usage, including the MQpower CT (a wireless current transformer) and the MQpower SP (a smart plug load device). These devices can provide detailed energy consumption data at the receptacle, equipment, or breaker level, supporting various plug types and global LoRaWAN® frequencies.

This solution can help businesses identify opportunities to reduce energy use, aid in predictive maintenance, and make informed decisions about asset utilization and purchasing. It complements smart metering capabilities and runs on MachineQ's scalable network infrastructure, potentially lowering the total cost of ownership for IoT investments.

Positive

• Launch of a new IoT-based power monitoring solution for enterprise energy management
• Potential for improved operational efficiencies and cost management for high-energy consumers
• Solution supports sustainability initiatives and predictive maintenance
• Offers flexible monitoring options with MQpower CT and MQpower SP devices
• Complements existing smart metering capabilities
• Runs on scalable network infrastructure, potentially lowering total cost of ownership for IoT investments

Negative

• None.

Insights

Tech Expert

MachineQ's new IoT-based power monitoring solution marks a significant advancement in energy management technology. By leveraging LoRaWAN® connectivity, the system offers real-time, granular insights into power consumption at various levels - from individual assets to entire electrical systems. The MQpower CT and MQpower SP devices provide flexible monitoring options, catering to different industry needs.

This solution's ability to correlate energy consumption with asset utilization is particularly innovative. It enables businesses to make data-driven decisions about asset management, potentially leading to substantial energy savings and operational efficiencies. The predictive maintenance capabilities, detecting anomalies in power consumption patterns, could significantly reduce equipment downtime and extend asset lifespans.

While the technology is promising, its success will depend on the accuracy of data collection, the robustness of the LoRaWAN network and the sophistication of the analytics software interpreting the data. The global compatibility of the devices is a strong selling point, potentially facilitating widespread adoption across various markets.

Market Research Analyst

The launch of MachineQ's power monitoring solution is well-timed, aligning with growing corporate focus on sustainability and operational efficiency. The energy management market is projected to grow significantly, driven by increasing energy costs and stringent regulations on carbon emissions.

Targeting high-energy consumers like food service companies, laboratories and hotels is a strategic move. These sectors have been under pressure to reduce their environmental impact and operational costs. The solution's ability to provide actionable insights could be a key differentiator in a competitive market.

However, MachineQ may face challenges from established players in the energy management space. The success of this product will likely depend on its ease of integration with existing systems, the quality of insights provided and Comcast's ability to leverage its existing customer relationships. The potential for this solution to complement smart metering capabilities could open up additional market opportunities, particularly in smart building and smart city initiatives.

Financial Analyst

While specific financial projections aren't provided, this launch could positively impact Comcast's revenue diversification strategy. The IoT and energy management markets represent significant growth opportunities. If successful, this solution could provide a new recurring revenue stream for Comcast, potentially with higher margins than traditional telecom services.

The investment in IoT infrastructure could yield long-term benefits, as the same network can support multiple IoT applications, increasing the potential return on investment. However, investors should monitor the adoption rate and customer retention for this new offering, as these will be key indicators of its success and potential impact on Comcast's financials.

It's worth noting that this move positions Comcast more firmly in the B2B technology solutions market, potentially opening up new growth avenues. While the immediate financial impact may be , successful execution in this space could enhance Comcast's long-term growth prospects and valuation multiples.

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- MachineQ, a Comcast Company, today announced the launch of an IoT-based power monitoring solution designed to assist enterprises in monitoring and managing their energy consumption, leading to operational efficiencies, proactive maintenance, managed costs, and sustainability efforts. The solution also helps enterprises understand asset utilization, providing actionable data to optimize asset use.

MachineQ Unveils a Power Monitoring Solution (Photo: Business Wire)

The power monitoring solution is particularly relevant for high-energy consumers, such as food service companies, laboratories, and hotels, which consume more energy than typical commercial buildings due to their energy-intensive equipment and asset-intensive operations. For example, according to a recent Energy Star report, fast food restaurants and convenience stores consume nearly 900 BTU of energy per square foot of space. This is about 2.5x more energy than in any other commercial building.

“We’ve seen increased demand from current and prospective customers seeking ways to understand power consumption and obtain executable data to help them reduce energy utilization,” said Bryan Witkowski, Head of Product & Strategy, MachineQ. “This solution offers customers flexible options to help not only monitor but also help manage their energy usage. Plus, with many companies focused on sustainability initiatives, this solution can help play a vital role towards measuring and achieving those efforts.”

One industry where sustainability efforts are top of mind is life sciences, where pharmaceutical companies have asset-heavy, power-intensive lab operations. A power monitoring solution can provide lab managers with valuable insights by tracking the energy consumption of equipment, such as centrifuges, and correlating that data to its frequent or infrequent use. Linking consumption and utilization data can help identify opportunities to reduce energy (e.g., turn it off when not in use), aid sustainability efforts, and help determine whether to reallocate the asset to another location, decommission it, or make better purchasing decisions.

Additionally, the solution can help aid in predictive maintenance for critical equipment, such as an ultra-low temperature freezer. By detecting anomalies in power consumption, which often indicate equipment issues, lab managers can proactively service or replace units before they fail. For instance, if a freezer starts using more energy to maintain its set point temperature, this could signal the need for maintenance or indicate that the unit is nearing the end of its life.

MachineQ’s solution offers various ways to monitor power consumption accurately using IoT sensor devices that can extract data at the receptacle, equipment, or breaker level. The MQpower CT is a wireless, self-powered current transformer that can be clamped to electrical conductors at the breaker or asset level to measure real-time current consumption in a simple, non-invasive way.

The MQpower SP is a smart plug load device that enables businesses to plug in equipment and assets to extrapolate energy data, including daily energy usage, instantaneous current, voltage, active power, and power factor. It supports a variety of plug types, including US (type B), UK (type G), EU (type F), and FR (type E). The MQpower SP and MQpower CT both support regional LoRaWAN® frequencies globally.

The power monitoring solution complements smart metering capabilities by providing a holistic view of energy consumption and actionable insights to monitor, control, and manage consumption more intelligently. Plus, like all MachineQ solutions, these use cases run on the same scalable network infrastructure, helping customers to lower the total cost of ownership of their IoT investment over time.

To learn more about MachineQ and its solution offerings, visit machineq.com/solutions.

About MachineQ
MachineQ, a Comcast Company, makes it simple for enterprises to build, connect and deploy IoT solutions at scale. Our fully integrated IoT network connectivity platform delivers enhanced security and reduced total cost of ownership, while giving customers a single provider for technology, development, service, and support. Our end-to-end IoT solutions and partnerships with leading solution providers address a wide range of business challenges in key markets such as real estate, food service, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, utilities, government, and agriculture. For more information, visit www.MachineQ.com.

LoRaWAN® is used under license from the LoRa Alliance®.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240903404551/en/

Joel Shadle

Joel_Shadle@comcast.com

Comcast Corporation

Source: Comcast Corporation

FAQ

What is MachineQ's new power monitoring solution for CMCSA?

MachineQ, a Comcast Company (CMCSA), has launched an IoT-based power monitoring solution designed to help enterprises monitor and manage their energy consumption, leading to operational efficiencies, proactive maintenance, managed costs, and support for sustainability efforts.

Which industries can benefit from MachineQ's power monitoring solution?

The solution is particularly relevant for high-energy consumers such as food service companies, laboratories, and hotels, which typically consume more energy than standard commercial buildings due to their energy-intensive equipment and asset-intensive operations.

What devices does MachineQ's power monitoring solution use?

The solution uses two main devices: the MQpower CT, a wireless, self-powered current transformer that can be clamped to electrical conductors, and the MQpower SP, a smart plug load device that enables businesses to plug in equipment and assets to extrapolate energy data.

How can MachineQ's power monitoring solution help with sustainability efforts?

The solution provides detailed energy consumption data and insights, allowing companies to identify opportunities to reduce energy usage, optimize asset utilization, and make informed decisions about equipment maintenance and purchases, all of which can contribute to sustainability initiatives.