Published:  3.2.2020

Developed jointly by Soficta and district heating professionals, Aistio District Monitoring is focused on the active monitoring of district heating networks. The map-based system provides the features necessary for the daily management and maintenance of district heating networks. 

District heating is the most commonly used form of heating in Finland, and suitable for both old and new properties. District heating networks transmit the thermal energy generated by heat production plants to customers as hot water via a network of insulated pipelines. The total length of the Finnish district heating network is some 15,000 kilometres and includes around 60,000 different types of wells that require monitoring. 

Real-time data on conditions in wells allows for rapid response to abnormalities 

The Aistio District Monitoring system consists of a service and sensors, and in the first stage, it is capable of fully automated 24/7 monitoring of well conditions: temperature, humidity, water level and local weather. Continuous monitoring of wells improves the predictability of network problems and helps prevent more major damages that could cause significant losses to energy companies. 

Versatile and real-time data produced from the network enables detailed assessment and the necessary solutions for the prevention of issues. The detection and timely intervention of even slight problems saves considerable effort, time and money before the problem escalates into a major catastrophe. The planning of maintenance visits and work supervision are also more efficient with automatic access to detailed information on the well status 24/7 the year round. The minimisation of maintenance visits produces considerable savings in operative maintenance and allows the freed resources to be allocated directly to problem areas in the district heating network. 

The system issues automatic alerts when certain threshold values are exceeded or conditions in a well change abruptly. Alerts and notifications can be received by email and SMS message, if necessary. For example, if the water level of a well exceeds the set limit, such as above the level of the district heating pipelines, the system updates the well status to indicate that it requires maintenance. In this way, wells that require urgent and critical maintenance measures can be responded to immediately and prioritized. 

Installation of the wireless sensors is simple, fast and cost-effective. Our durable sensor technology has been tested in a variety of well conditions, and its IP classification has been demonstrated to be perfectly suitable for the measurement and monitoring of maintenance well conditions. The system utilises Digita’s comprehensive LoRaWAN data transmission network. Constructed by Digita, the network has excellent coverage in Finland and is adaptive to demanding operating conditions and offers total operational reliability. 

Aistio District Monitoring received very positively by markets 

The system was launched in September at a district heating industry event in Seinäjoki. “After the launch, we have met with several energy and district heating companies interested in the product, and we also showcased the service to an international audience at the Global District Energy Days in cooperation with Digita,” explains Sami Metsänperä, CEO of Soficta.

“During the first few weeks, we have gained several customers and our innovative service and technology have been received very well. International customers have also shown interest in our service and the advantages it offers,” Metsänperä adds. For example, in the crowded streets of Paris, service and maintenance work on the district heating networks must be carried out mainly at night as traffic arrangements are more feasible. Due to this, real-time data on the wells is extremely important as it allows maintenance work to be timed according to need and disruptions to traffic minimised. 

In Finland, the major customer accounts include, for example, Salon Kaukolämpö Oy, which decided to invest to equip 55 district heating wells with the system, thus significantly enhancing its capability to monitor the network. The benefits and advantages of the system are amplified as the number of connected wells increases, as this allows monitoring to provide benefits and cost savings already in operative functions alone.

For further information, please contact: http://www.aistio.fi/district/