Customer Overview
Sunways, a leading manufacturer of photovoltaic inverters with over 30 years of experience in the industry. Founded in Germany in 1993, the company has offered a wide range of photovoltaic inverters, including grid-tied and hybrid models, designed to meet the unique needs of residential, commercial, and industrial customers. With a commitment to sustainability, Sunways aims to provide customers with innovative solutions that efficiently match their energy demands with supply. By creating an integrated energy system through rich product layouts and smart energy solutions, Sunways enables clients to effectively manage their energy needs.
Introduction
As global demand for clean energy surges, distributed photovoltaic (PV) power generation has become a cornerstone of the renewable energy revolution. Sunways, a leading manufacturer of photovoltaic inverters in Germany with over 30 years of expertise, recognized the immense potential of distributed PV in addressing the world’s energy needs. After entering the Chinese market in 2018, Sunways has been delivering advanced solar management solutions to both residential and commercial users, but its ambitions extended further.
To address the inherent challenges of distributed PV systems, such as fluctuating performance and intermittent power generation, the company envisioned a sophisticated energy operations and maintenance (O&M) system, Sunways Portal, to empower users with real-time monitoring, streamlined maintenance, and intelligent analytics.
Sunways adopted EMQX Platform, a fully managed MQTT messaging platform, for seamless data collection and transmission. By leveraging cutting-edge IoT and sensor technology, Sunways Portal enables remote configuration, firmware updates, and system scalability, ensuring a competitive and future-ready PV solution.
Challenges in Building an Intelligent Energy Management System
To develop an energy management system of this scale and sophistication, Sunways needed to overcome several hurdles:
- Integrating Diverse Data Sources Distributed PV systems generate vast amounts of data from multiple devices, including inverters, sensors, and energy storage units. The diversity of data formats and protocols across these devices made seamless integration complex and resource-intensive.
- Operating in Weak Network Environments Many PV stations were located in areas with inconsistent network connectivity, leading to issues such as frequent reconnections and data loss. Reliable data transmission was crucial for real-time monitoring and remote management of solar installations.
- Meeting Varied Data Processing Needs Different stakeholders—such as energy providers and grid operators—required tailored data processing capabilities, from equipment diagnostics to energy dispatch and demand analysis. The platform needed to be versatile enough to address these diverse demands.
Transition from AWS IoT Core to EMQX: Powering Sunways Portal with Seamless IoT Connectivity
Initially, Sunways used AWS IoT Core to manage device connectivity and data collection. However, as the scale of devices and data grew, so did the costs. Seeking a more sustainable solution, Sunways decided to migrate to EMQX Platform in 2024. This strategic move not only helped them control operational costs but also provided the scalability and reliability needed to support their growing energy management ecosystem.
More information on how to select between AWS IoT Core and EMQX Platform: AWS IoT Core vs EMQX Platform: A Practical Guide for IoT Solution Selection
EMQX brought the following key capabilities to the table:
- Cost-Effective Managed Services: EMQX offers a predictable pricing model based on specification + message traffic and a 99.99% SLA uptime guarantee, reducing operational costs without the additional IT overhead.
- Seamless Data Migration: Using the standard MQTT protocol, EMQX allowed Sunways to easily migrate devices from AWS IoT Core by updating firmware, ensuring business continuity.
- Unified Data Collection: By supporting the standard MQTT protocol, EMQX enabled seamless connection and data integration from diverse devices, including sensors, smart meters, and inverters, even in weak network conditions.
- Flexible Data Processing: EMQX’s rule engine allowed Sunways to filter, compute, and route data efficiently for various business scenarios, such as energy monitoring and power scheduling.
- Enhanced Data Security: EMQX implemented robust data encryption through TLS and access control mechanisms to ensure secure data transmission and device isolation, guaranteeing that all communication within the system is fully protected from potential threats.
Project Outcomes: Unlocking New Levels of Efficiency and Innovation
The deployment of EMQX transformed the company’s operations in several impactful ways:
- Optimized Costs: Compared to AWS IoT Core, EMQX provided superior scalability at a lower cost. Its distributed architecture supported millions of devices while minimizing expenses related to hardware expansion and maintenance.
- Improved Platform Stability: EMQX’s cluster architecture ensured high availability, minimizing downtime and maintaining reliable device communication. Its QoS guarantees enabled data reliability, even during network disruptions.
- Enhanced User Experience: With lightweight MQTT messaging and real-time communication, Sunways Portal achieved low latency and high efficiency. The rule engine simplified complex data processing tasks, accelerating development and increasing flexibility for future AIoT expansions.
Looking Ahead
With EMQX as its backbone, Sunways is now exploring AI-powered analytics to further optimize its energy management platform. These advancements will enable predictive maintenance, smarter energy dispatch, and other innovations that push the boundaries of intelligent solar energy solutions.
By harnessing the power of EMQX, this industry leader is driving the renewable energy sector toward a smarter, more sustainable future.