Use case - Smart City

Smart City Solution

Smart City need to be seen as a complex environment for which is beneficial to use the FLOWBOX integration and digitalization platform offered in three functionality tiers. 

The uniqueness lies in the interconnection of heterogeneous systems and autonomous management of individual systems and environments in case of lost communication. Additionally, customers can ‘grow’ by starting with monitoring (SCG1000), later add control of energy sources (SCG3000) to reach multi-location, multi-system resource optimization for entire city (SCG5000). 

We view cities as an analogy for the smart industry with its hundreds of sensor elements, vast variety of technology from different manufacturers, and use of various energy sources. Also consisting of features and data for public use by citizens. 

Use the savings for the benefit of the citizens

The contribution of city digitalization is the availability of the proper interconnected intelligent solution, for the largest energy consumers, such as administered/operated buildings, administrative bodies, social or cultural centers, hospitals, sport centers etc., and manage their operations effectively. 

Savings out of the more efficient operations can be further used and invested into infrastructure, transport, lighting modernization or further social, cultural, or hobby related installations in cities which belong to the Smart City concept. 

Often the opposite is true: A Smart City is considered as such when on the city portal we find information regarding traffic density, air conditioning, garbage bin capacity, parking space availability, or the availability of Wi-Fi benches. 

These aspects are now integral to modern life, but they should be dealt with rationally and in accordance with city planning and development. This should also coincide with an effective management strategy. 

Our product packages FLOWBOX SmartCity monitor (SCG1000), FLOWBOX Smart City controler SCG3000) and FLOWBOX SmartCity manager (SCG5000) facilitate operations of a Smart City. 

The benefits of the Smart City platform

  1. maximizing effective city management 
  2. maximizing the use of “green energy” and alternative (renewable) resources 
  3. preventing damage, losses, and waste 
  4. control and management of technology and buildings 
  5. control and management of city operations 

Our customer, the town of Zruč nad Sázavou that has been developing its own Smart City platform using Flowbox SCG5000 since 2018, and gradually connects individual buildings and technologies to it.

  • A
    Initial state
    Uncontrolled and unorganized building and technology operations and energy consumption in properties managed by the city.
  • Z
    Desired state
    Digitalization, integration and management of buildings and technologies with the goal to optimize the costs and prevent losses.

The areas covered by the Smart City platform

  • ZONE CONTROL OF HEATING IN BUILDINGS 
  • ENERGY CONSUMPTION CONTROL AND OPTIMIZATION
  • LIGHT CONTROL 
  • VENTILATION AND RECUPERATION TECHNOLOGY CONTROL
  • AIR QUALITY MONITORING IN CLASSROOMS AND ENSURING NATURAL VENTILATION 
  • INTEGRATION OF CCTV SYSTEMS 
  • TECHNOLOGY CONTROL OF SPORTS HALL 
  • AUTOMATED BUILDING OPERATION WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF FLEXIBLE AND REMOTE MANAGEMENT 
  • SURVEILLANCE OVER ABNORMAL CONSUMPTION, FAILURES AND ALARMS 
  • EARLY NOTIFICATION OF CITY MANAGEMENT DURING FAILURES OR ANOMALIES 

Solution for the town of Zruč nad Sázavou

From 2018, the town has been gradually adding buildings and technologies to its Smart City platform SCG5000 with the goal of optimizing their operations and preventing inefficiencies. 

In each building, the autonomous building control is maintained by Flowbox Alliance Gateways FBX5000 in federative architecture to Flowbox cloud server FBX6000. 

Architecture

FLOWBOX Smat City Manager SCG5000 brought great variability from the local management of building technologies to centralization, data analysis, and city management in a dedicated cloud environment with goal to achieve the decentralized management of technologies and central administration and control over all key areas of the city. 

The results

  • 15% energy savings 
  • Control over water consumption, water losses, and waste prevention 
  • Higher temperature comfort in buildings 
  • Central surveillance over failures ensuring early action and prevention
  • Natural ventilation in classrooms, CO2 reduction 
  • Central camera surveillance 

Extension options

Apart from the connection of administered properties and buildings, the other options are to use the Flowbox digitizing platform in the areas of: management of own energy sources (edge grid) 

  • management of e-mobility
  • administration and management of public lighting 
  • waste management 
  • transport and parking 
  • air quality monitoring 
  • safety and surveillance 
  • management of properties and inventory