What does Conneqtive Smart Steam do?
Conneqtive Smart Steam (Steam Pipe Monitoring) is an IoT-based monitoring and optimization system. It enables power plant and maintenance managers to measure temperatures, steam trap status, and condensate behavior in their steam network. The system detects energy losses on an event-based basis and alerts the responsible parties internally and, if desired, externally as well. Losses in kg/h of steam, euros, and CO₂ are displayed at set intervals.
The “Smart Steam” solution provides complete logs and traceable data for your energy reporting. It helps managers specifically lower the supply temperature, prevent malfunctions such as blow-through or condensate buildup, and control systems more efficiently. This leads to measurable savings after just a few weeks.
Benefits at a Glance
- A dashboard gives you insight into your field data. Conneqtive Smart Steam immediately detects leaks and malfunctions.
- Transparency in the field allows you to save energy and drastically reduce operating costs.
- For your monthly reporting, the system provides all necessary data digitally, in an audit-ready format, and automatically.
- You can meet the requirements of ISO 50001 and CSRD much more easily and reliably.
Why act now?
With Conneqtive Smart Steam, energy managers can reliably unlock efficiency potential, reduce costs, and ensure trouble-free plant operation.
Given rising energy prices, complex ESG regulations, and increasing reporting requirements, the digitalization of industrial steam networks is also a critical competitive factor. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and ISO 50001 require ESG officers to track energy consumption in a transparent manner and substantiate it with verifiable data.
Steam networks hold enormous untapped potential for optimization that was too costly to utilize effectively with conventional technology.
Contents
- What does Conneqtive Smart Steam do?
- Why does a modern steam network need real-time data?
- What advantages does Conneqtive Smart Steam offer?
- For power plant managers and asset managers
- For maintenance
- For energy management and ESG
- Case Study: Results from the Field
- FAQ – Your Most Important Questions
- Conclusion and Next Steps
1. What does Conneqtive Smart Steam do?
Smart Steam sheds light on the situation. You can digitally monitor and control your entire steam network. Without reliable data, energy efficiency potential often goes undetected, and malfunctions are identified too late.
Sensors on pipes and at critical network points continuously record temperatures, ultrasonic data, and the status of each steam trap. You immediately identify where energy is being lost, leaks are occurring, or blockages are forming. In the future, you won’t have to wait until the next maintenance cycle to answer the fundamental question of where the greatest losses are occurring. This allows you to optimize your system in a targeted manner:
- Lower the supply temperature
- Increase supply reliability
- Document all energy losses in a traceable manner
- Make complicated and manual troubleshooting obsolete
Imagine this: You know at all times whether and where the steam system is losing energy—without any inspection rounds or time-consuming analyses.
2. Why does a modern steam network need event- and interval-based data?
Operating conditions in industrial steam networks are constantly changing. Manual inspection cycles—for example, annually or quarterly—are inefficient. With annual maintenance, a defective steam trap can lose steam unnoticed for 11 months—resulting in enormous costs and CO₂ emissions.
Without digital transparency, three core problems arise:
- You operate at excessively high supply temperatures to compensate for risks caused by missing data. This results in excess consumption and wear and tear.
- Leaks and malfunctions go undetected for too long. Errors accumulate over months.
- There is a lack of traceability. No one can precisely verify savings, and energy management becomes a matter of pure estimation.
Smart Steam puts an end to these uncertainties.
3. What advantages does Conneqtive Smart Steam offer?
For power plant managers and asset managers
Your goal is maximum availability with optimal efficiency. Smart Steam provides reliable data from your entire steam network, regardless of your existing IT infrastructure. You can control temperatures based on data, avoid water hammer, and plan and schedule maintenance in a targeted manner.
The key benefits:
- You measurably reduce fuel consumption.
- You keep your operations stable and trouble-free.
- Network management becomes more precise, and unnecessary reserve buffers are eliminated.
- You have constant access to KPIs such as daily losses and monthly temperature trends.
For Your Maintenance
Routine inspections and manual checks take time. With Conneqtive Smart Steam, you can immediately identify the status of every steam trap and network point—without on-site inspections. You can see on the dashboard where steam is being lost or condensate is accumulating, and respond with targeted actions.
- You avoid unplanned outages thanks to automated error notifications.
- You prevent water hammer and reduce maintenance efforts.
- Your technicians gain more time for value-added tasks.
- You can assign maintenance tasks directly the first time using the appropriate Condensomat, thereby saving on additional service calls.
For energy managers and ESG officers
Transparency is key: Smart Steam makes all energy losses measurable and documents CO₂ savings in an audit-ready format. You receive comprehensive monthly reports that you can use directly for ISO 50001, EMAS, or CSRD.
The key benefits:
- Accurate data for management decisions.
- You prioritize investments based on economic potential.
- You demonstrate ROI within a few months with hard numbers.
4. Real-world example: Results from the field
Conneqtive Smart Steam has already proven its value in the 6-bar steam network of an industrial site.
- Before: Flow temperature stable at 190 °C.
- After implementation: Temperature reduced to 165 °C with immediately measurable fuel savings.
Typical Benchmarks:
- 5–10% energy savings possible
- ROI often achieved in under 12 months
- Leak detection time reduced from months to days.
5. FAQ – Your Most Important Questions
What sensors are used, and where are they installed? Sensors are installed directly on steam traps, network nodes, or pipe sections. Installation is minimally invasive and requires no production downtime.
How long does the sensor battery last? Up to 10 years, depending on the transmission interval.
Does Smart Steam require access to the company network? No. The connection operates completely autonomously via its own LoRaWAN® network with long range and the highest level of IT security.
Is the system suitable for potentially explosive atmospheres? Yes, ATEX-compliant versions are available.
How is the flow temperature controlled? Thanks to the new level of transparency, the system alerts operators to excessively high flow temperatures. The power plant operator can use this information to optimize flow temperatures. It is also possible to use the data as a basis for simulating future retrofits.
We do not directly interfere with the existing control system or energy management system (EMS).
How quickly can a pilot project be implemented? In just a few weeks, including the setup of a dedicated LoRaWAN® wireless network.
How are savings calculated? Euro and CO₂ equivalents are calculated based on measured steam losses. You receive a detailed verification report for each measure. Temperature-related savings can be reported using monthly average temperatures.
6. Conclusion and Next Steps
Digitizing your steam network is the key to greater efficiency, safety, and sustainability. With Conneqtive Smart Steam, you’ll always know how your network is performing, where optimization is needed, and how to reduce costs and CO₂ emissions.
Your next step: Start with a baseline measurement. You’ll receive a clear assessment of your energy, cost, and CO₂ savings potential.
Schedule an appointment now for a no-obligation project consultation and take your efficiency to the next level.
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