IoT provider Quectel Wireless says it is driving digital transformation in the energy market, helping counter the issues faced through today’s energy crisis.

Smart metering, smart grids and smart home applications are starting to use technologies for insights and efficiencies in their sector, including cloud computing, edge computing and data and analytics. Automation, robotics, IoT, artificial intelligence, digital twins and other technologies are also becoming increasingly critical to help accelerate deployments in this sector.

Smart meters, intelligent grids and cloud-based platforms will allow users to pay only for what they use, while in the automotive world, indicators suggest that advanced driver assistance systems will enable a saving of 400,000 metric tons of CO₂ per year through efficiency gains per kilometre driven.

Quectel’s modules and antennas, alongside the recently launched connectivity service, means it is positioned to support these initiatives and others like them with wireless connectivity, providing the IoT services needed to help drive this digital transformation.

“The current energy crisis means we are seeing a meaningful need to manage our energy requirements, both from a supply and cost point of view,” said Norbert Muhrer, president of Quectel Wireless. “Technologies that we’re seeing today, whether it’s smart metering, smart grids, automotive systems or smart charging posts, are one such way that we can optimise our use of energy and alleviate some of these issues that we’re seeing across the world.”

The utilities sector is a natural fit for connected technologies and is already being transformed through IoT development. In a sector where assets are frequently in remote or hard-to-reach locations, the value of reliable connectivity – with low demands on power and maintenance – is clear. Previously used for 2G, the LTE 450 band is increasingly used as a network for IoT and critical applications and is suitable for the wide area coverage that IoT demands.

Quectel supports LTE 450 with products such as the EG921N-EN, an LTE Cat 1 wireless communication module optimised for M2M and IoT applications and is suitable for home smart meters.

Other modules that can help drive the transformation of the utility industry include the industrial standard wifi and Bluetooth 5.2 FC41D module, designed to meet the requirements of low flow control and data acquisition applications such as smart homes and industrial control and the BC660K-GL, designed to meet the needs of the smart metering industry.

Furthermore, Quectel’s module portfolio and its range of antennas can offer charging point operators the capabilities to facilitate connectivity for their charging points. The BG950 and BG951 LTE Cat M1 modules offer low power consumption, suitable for periods of non-use at charging points, while the EG91 and EG915 series offer potentially even better performance across LTE Cat 1 for electric vehicle charging points.

The Quectel module offering is complemented by its antennas, which help optimise connection efficiency and aid ease of installation of devices. These can be supplied pre-integrated with Quectel IoT modules to accelerate time to market and help eliminate commonly found integration issues. At the same time, completing the module and antenna range, the connectivity-as-a-service offering adds connectivity to the portfolio and helps users simplify the journey of designing, building, connecting and commercialising their IoT offerings.