e-Gem
What e-Gem Does for You!
Comprehensive and consistent energy management is both an environmental and economic consideration for companies. Efficient energy management involves a large number of employees within the company, which is why consumption data and key performance indicators must always be available regardless of location or device. e-Gem supports you in this effort—built entirely on web technology, this open-source software integrates seamlessly into any existing infrastructure and is characterized by simple configuration and intuitive operation.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
- Flexible & Open – Seamless Integration into Your Infrastructure
- Powerful – Top Performance in the Web Browser
- User-friendly – Easy to set up and use
- Certified to ISO 50001
- Highly scalable—on-premises, virtualized, or in the cloud
Areas of Application
Industrie
Energy data management in industry and commerce is typically based on a heterogeneous measurement infrastructure. Data sources include universal meters, PLCs, and data loggers. These data sources often need to be connected across multiple locations. In addition to consumption data, physical measurement parameters such as temperatures, pressures, and—above all—master data or quantitative production data from ERP, MES, or control systems must be captured. e-Gem serves as a central platform for all processes in industrial energy management: All consumption data is archived without gaps and validated. Across the entire company, measurement data, key performance indicators, reports, and dashboards are made available to all stakeholders in the energy management system in a meaningful and clear format.
- Simple and flexible collection of all relevant data
- Enterprise-wide availability of all data
- Historical representation of structures (meters, cost centers, etc.)
- Helps you implement and maintain ISO 50001
Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Small and medium-sized businesses are characterized by extensive expertise and a high degree of specialization. Since they typically operate on a global scale, the competitive pressure is enormous. The government therefore offers incentives for adopting resource-efficient work practices. Since SMEs often have limited personnel resources available for energy management, it is particularly important that the system be easy to configure and use.
e-Gem is simple and intuitive, allowing for both automated and flexible manual recording of consumption data. Investing in energy management software is worthwhile for small and medium-sized businesses, as significant savings can be achieved with minimal effort, and the investment quickly pays for itself through cost reductions.
- Easy system configuration and operation
- Flexible manual entry of consumption data
- Flexible analysis features in the form of dashboards, graphs, or reports
- Assists with auditing your company in accordance with 16247-1
Energy provider
Energy utilities are distinguished by their extensive expertise in the energy sector. In this competitive market, it is important for energy utilities to offer their customers energy management solutions. This strengthens customer loyalty and helps them stand out from the competition. In many companies, expertise in operational energy management is still in its infancy. Expert support with planning, integration, and certification is readily welcomed. With e-Gem, utilities can offer this service to their customers via the cloud or as an on-premises solution (at the customer’s site).
- Portal solutions or on-site installation
- Data Import via MSCONS, LPEX, or CSV
- Provision of insightful reports and dashboards
- White Labeling – User Interface in Your Company’s Corporate Design
Service Provider
Energy Performance Contracting (ESC) is a business model that can be offered alongside other energy services and fosters long-term customer relationships. e-Gem ensures that consumption data is reliably recorded and available to the customer at all times. As a cloud-based portal solution, e-Gem offers service providers a cost-effective way to manage many of their customers on a single system.
- Cloud service, on-site installation, or hybrid solutions
- Multitenant Software Design
- Time- and Shift-Scheduled Alarm System
- Integrated Maintenance Management (Operations Management)
Water Management
Wastewater treatment plants and water supply systems are major energy consumers in the municipal sector. Energy-intensive processes such as biological wastewater treatment offer significant potential for savings. On the path to energy optimization, there is no substitute for continuously recording all consumption data. e-Gem analyzes and monitors all energy metrics and converts them into meaningful key performance indicators. For example, the energy consumption of a drinking water pump can be compared to the volume of water it pumps.
- Energy management functionality integrated into the control system
- Calculation of efficiency metrics (e.g., kWh/m³TW)
- Peak Load Monitoring for Wastewater Treatment Plants
- Water Accounting Reports
Curious about flow states?
Insights, updates and know-how
about FlowChief
about FlowChief
New Process Control Technology for the Starnberger See Wastewater Treatment Plant
Erlangen Municipal Sewer System (EBE)
Cooling with Seawater
Technical article: Energy management in wastewater treatment plants
Geolocation
Plantexplorer
Where e-Gem Leads the Way!
e-Gem stands for native web technology—from the very beginning and without compromise—and as a user, you can really feel the difference. Corporate energy management affects a wide range of roles and workstations within the company. Whether it’s energy managers, technical departments, machine operators, or the controlling department, web technology is the only viable way to make information available to these various users. Gone are the days of time-consuming terminal server installations, client updates, or incompatibilities between server and client workstations.
e-Gem is designed entirely using the purest web technology and was developed from the ground up for use in a web browser. Users only need a standard web browser, whether they connect to e-Gem from their office workstation, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. If desired, e-Gem can be securely accessed from anywhere: via the intranet, LAN, or VPN; through the private cloud; or over the Internet. For us, “100% web-based” means a full range of features for configuration, monitoring, and analysis, such as graphs, dashboards, and reporting.
Is the software capable of mapping the unique structures of my company?
e-Gem is flexible and can map the structures of organizations ranging from small and medium-sized businesses to large, multi-site enterprises. Depending on their approach, users can choose whether e-Gem displays consumption data from a technical perspective (energy flow) or from an accounting perspective (company structure and cost centers).
- Multidimensional Mapping of Structures (Company, Energy Distribution, Local)
- Dynamically Switchable View Modes
- Mapping of structural elements and their master data (e.g., contact person, address, coordinates)
- Comprehensive filtering and analysis functions for attributes such as company divisions, installation locations, meter types, media, and their master data
- Manual configuration of all structural elements via the web interface
- Semi-automatic or fully automatic synchronization of structural elements with third-party systems (ERP, databases, CAFM)
- Graphics editor for creating custom overview images (top-down navigation) based on standardized vector graphics or map services such as Google Maps
Historicization
The company structure is typically mapped one-to-one in the energy management system. Depending on the company’s dynamics, this structure changes over time. With the historical tracking feature integrated into e-Gem, it is possible to accurately map changes in organizational structures—including master data—over time. Every parameter change to an organizational unit is uniquely archived with a timestamp. Other structural elements, such as rates, metering points, cost centers, key figures, and their mutual assignments, are also archived historically and accurately. This ensures that users receive accurate data in all time-based front-end interfaces based on the respective validity periods.
- Historical tracking of all relevant structural elements and master data
- Complete representation of the history of all parameters
- Easy editing and correction via the web interface
- Synchronization mechanisms for aligning with third-party systems
Accounting & Hierarchy Formation
Feed-in, NSHV, machine. The deeper one delves into production, the more ramified the power grid becomes. e-Gem uses parent-child relationships to map this tree structure. Based on these relationships, automatic virtual metering points—such as remaining quantities at balance points or higher-level totals—can be generated.
- Organization-independent parent-child relationships between any two points
- Balancing Group Formation and Automatic Profit and Loss Calculation
- Gradual reduction of remaining quantities at accounting points
- Flowchart and Sankey Diagram
- Current online status (meter readings and services) or archived data (meter readings, quantities, services) for specific time periods
- Financial Statements
- Historical Depictions of Parent-Child Relationships
Connectivity
e-Gem is an open and vendor-neutral energy management platform that comprehensively captures all relevant data. In addition to consumption information from the meter infrastructure, it also collects measurement values, digital status data, and information such as usage figures, climate data, energy production volumes, and employee headcount. e-Gem can be customized to meet your specific requirements and is successfully used in a wide range of applications, from very small-scale systems with just a few meter points to highly available cluster solutions with tens of thousands of measurement points.
More Highlights
Curve Analysis
Flexibly applicable to all collected data, the curve analysis integrated into e-Gem serves as the central front-end for identifying hidden savings potential. Flexible control functions such as crosshairs, envelope curves, thresholds, or min/max values, combined with modern multi-touch gesture control, round out the intuitive user experience. A wide range of formatting options—such as color, time range, resolution, or chart type (line, bar, area, etc.)—can be easily selected with a single mouse click. Once selected, options and configurations can be saved for personal use or flexibly shared among different users.
- Online, Archive, and Time Comparison Modes
- XY Scatter Plot and Regression Analysis
- Consumption data, measured values, or digital states
- Simultaneous display of up to 100 variables
- Creating combinations of curves, including a share function
- Autoscaling, CSV Export
- Virtual Calculation Function
Reports
Reports can be generated on the fly from existing master data—for example, for a cost center—or alternatively, manually using an integrated designer. In addition to traditional tables, this designer also allows for the integration of pie charts, heat maps, and Sankey diagrams. The reports can be generated as WebReports in HTML, making them platform-independent and accessible in any web browser and on all devices. For complex enterprise solutions, a Microsoft Excel-based reporting system is also available. Energy management reports can be easily sent to the relevant employees via the Reporting Service.
- Ad Hoc Reports
- Automatic report delivery via email, FTP push, or file storage
- Use of Tables, Charts, or Diagrams
- Excel add-in for integration into existing Excel solutions
- Flexible export options (Excel, PDF)
- Special report templates: Load profile analysis, distribution report, etc.
- Custom Time Frame (Day, Week, Month, Quarter, Year, Custom Range)
Dashboard
With the dashboard, you always have a clear view of your business’s most important data—compact, simple, and organized. Widget elements such as performance monitoring, HTML, visualization components, and charts can be easily and intuitively combined. Thanks to its responsive web design, the dashboard is suitable for all screen sizes—PC monitors, tablets, and smartphones. In addition to easily duplicating existing dashboards and creating new personalized ones, you can also share them with colleagues at the click of a button.
- Intuitive and Flexible Dashboard Designer
- Scrollable – no limit on page size
- Embedding Charts (pie, bar, XY, etc.)
- Integration of Online Information (Visualization, Monitoring)
- Embedding External Web Resources (Web Pages, Videos, PDFs)
- Responsive – Compatibility with Different Screen Sizes
- Personal and User Group Dashboard
Tools
e-Gem offers a wide range of tools for analyzing archived data. Energy and media flows can be analyzed—both online and historically—using Sankey diagrams or flowcharts. The heat map allows consumption patterns to be identified even over long time periods. In general, Highcharts provides a powerful charting engine that makes it easy and intuitive to visualize large amounts of data. In the event log archive, digital events such as operational messages or limit violations can also be analyzed either chronologically or statistically.
- Sankey diagram
- Flowchart
- Heat Map or Carpet Plot
- Continuous-motion line
- Highcharts Charting Engine
- News Archive
Visualization & Monitoring
Interfaces such as OPC UA make it possible to collect data in near real time. Real-time performance metrics, temperatures, and physical states make it possible to identify correlations that support efficient plant operation. This data is available online for monitoring. With the integrated visualization, it is possible to create custom overview screens and use top-down navigation to access specific information.
- Real-time display of data (power, meter readings, measured values, operating statuses)
- Creating custom visualizations (topology, processes, diagrams)
- Standard Templates for Online Ads (Gauge, Seven-Segment, etc.)
- Table-Based Monitoring with Filters Based on Master Data
- Performance monitoring, including forecasting and alerts
- Intuitive image editor for creating visualizations
Find out who has already placed their trust in us
Global energy data optimized:
What our customers say
Customer Testimonials
In 2012, the decision was made to modernize the aging Repas AEG process control system. When selecting the new system, FlowChief prevailed over the leading competitors in an assessment center. The decisive factor in favor of the FlowChief process control system was its uniquely comprehensive overall concept. In fact, aside from the FlowChief process control system, there is no other product on the market that offers innovative, plugin-free web visualization with powerful data archiving, reporting, and comprehensive on-call service functionality all within a single application.
We have many years of experience in the field of industrial data acquisition and energy management. This enables us to offer our customers a wide range of services. We develop data acquisition concepts tailored specifically to each customer and their measurement technology, and—upon request—also integrate solutions for software-based energy management. With e-Gem, we use an open and vendor-neutral solution that can be seamlessly integrated into existing measurement systems. In addition, web-based technology allows all relevant employees to easily access the system. We also support our customers with system operation and certification in accordance with ISO 50001.
Approximately 50 employees across the group use the system and access the application via a browser without having to install any additional software. This was a key reason for switching to FlowChief’s process control technology. The effort involved had simply become too great. Only a few employees had access to the system and were increasingly occupied with transmitting consumption data to third parties. A prerequisite for a new system was therefore non-discriminatory, consistent access via a web browser. FlowChief offers all of this.
Several years ago, as part of an energy strategy, we assessed the current energy situation at our Max Binder drinking water treatment plant and are gradually implementing measures to reduce energy consumption. When constructing the new water treatment plant in Moos, energy-efficient design of the plant and building systems was a top priority from the outset. A comprehensive measurement infrastructure ensures that all consumption data is seamlessly collected in our central energy management platform, e-Gem by FlowChief. We also track water volumes, which allows us to monitor current energy performance and analyze historical data for each subprocess—such as the extraction, treatment, or distribution of our high-quality Waldwasser drinking water.
As a location-based service provider, we collect large amounts of data, which we make available to a wide range of customers in the form of various services. Until 2011, we used software that required an entire terminal server farm. The regular client updates alone were extremely time-consuming and no longer up to date. So we began looking for a purely web-based solution. Another key requirement was a software stack that could be easily scaled to meet our needs. In FlowChief, we found a partner with the right software and the flexibility needed to address our complex and demanding requirements.
Questions for FlowChief?
Let's talk about your processes.
Why Implementing Energy Management Software Makes Sense
Reduction of emissions and, consequently, costs
Energy management provides transparency into current consumption data. The data collected can be used to identify potential savings. Depending on the sector or industry, potential savings of up to 30 percent can be achieved.
Funding Programs and Reduction of the Tax and Social Security Burden
- Peak Load Compensation under the SpaEfV:
To achieve climate goals, legislation requires an increase in energy efficiency in industry and the economy. To this end, the Energy and Electricity Act has been amended. The SpaEfV regulation,“Systems for Improving Energy Efficiency in Connection with Exemptions from Energy and Electricity Taxes in Special Cases,”outlines how energy-intensive companies can receive tax relief in the form of peak load compensation. To qualify, companies must demonstrate that they have optimized their energy efficiency. Since 2015, this has meant that the peak compensation can only be granted if companies can demonstrate that they have implemented an energy management system in accordance with DIN EN ISO 50001 or an environmental management system in accordance with EMAS. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may, in accordance with the SpaEfV, implement an alternative system or conduct an energy audit in accordance with DIN EN 16247-1. - Special Compensation Scheme for the EEG Surcharge:
Manufacturing companies with high electricity consumption can apply to the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA) for a cap on the EEG surcharge under the Special Compensation Scheme (BesAR). The aim here is to maintain the international competitiveness of companies operating globally. The following requirements have applied to manufacturing companies since 2016:- The amount of electricity purchased by an electricity utility and consumed by it exceeded the 1 GWh threshold last year. Amounts transferred to third parties must be excluded from this figure in accordance with the guidelines of the Federal Network Agency. Link: www.bundesnetzagentur.de
- The ratio of the company’s electricity costs to gross value added at factor cost excluding temporary workers (electricity cost intensity) has, over the respective arithmetic mean of the last three completed fiscal years,
- For companies listed in List 1 of Appendix 4, the rates are as follows:
14% in 2021
13% in 2022
12% in 2023
11% starting in 2024 - for companies listed in List 2 of Appendix 4, be at least 20 percent.
- For companies listed in List 1 of Appendix 4, the rates are as follows:
- In the future, energy consumption and the potential for reducing it must be measured and evaluated for each company by means of a certificate in accordance with DIN EN ISO 50001 or EMAS. Companies with an electricity consumption of less than 5 GWh/year may operate an alternative system in accordance with Section 3 of the Peak Load Compensation Efficiency System Ordinance (SpaEfV).
- Funding Programs
Municipal Guidelines – Guidelines for Funding Climate Protection Projects in the Municipal Sector Link: www.klimaschutz.de/kommunalrichtlinie
Federal Funding for Energy Efficiency in the Business Sector Link: www.bafa.de – Energy Efficiency and Process Heat
Simplification and Centralization of Energy Management Processes
Depending on the size of the company, a large number of employees rely on data from the energy management system. The energy manager is increasingly busy preparing data tailored to the needs of the CEO, financial controller, or customers. Wouldn’t it be easier if a central software solution handled that for you?
Cost allocation based on the polluter-pays principle
Energy management is not limited to improving efficiency. Energy data often needs to be allocated within a company based on who generated it. This task also offers significant potential for automation.
Improved image and positive public perception
Public acceptance is becoming an increasingly important factor in a company’s image. ISO 50001 certification or public disclosure of a product’s carbon footprint is becoming increasingly attractive to manufacturers. Conversion equivalents can be managed as part of energy management.
Further documents on the topic
Downloads
Energy Monitoring System
The importance of effective energy management is steadily increasing across a wide range of sectors and industries. This is due not only to rising energy costs but also to sustainable business practices, which are becoming increasingly important in terms of a company’s public image. This goes hand in hand with comprehensive environmental management—legislation and intensified competition play a key role here.
