The Gridvis power grid monitoring software is the central tool for visualizing and evaluating energy data in the Janitza portfolio. It combines functions for alarm management, report generation, and dashboards and is aimed at both energy managers and technical experts in network monitoring. This exclusive interview with Tofas Florinas, Product Marketing Manager Software, and Adrian Hertstein, Head of Product Management Software, highlights how the software is both flexible and comprehensive. The conversation shows how the system supports companies in energy management, network monitoring, and power quality analysis in a standards-compliant way, supporting eligibility for funding programs. The interview outlines the future direction of the software.
Which areas of application is the Gridvis power grid monitoring software designed for?
Tofas Florinas: Today, data is a key asset in modern operations. Its value becomes clear when it is understood and applied. This is where Gridvis comes in. Our software ensures that measurement data isn't only collected, but also structured, processed and analyzed in a clear and accessible way. Even complex relationships can be visualized clearly. For example, users can identify consumption peaks at a glance. This creates a solid basis for targeted energy savings. Gridvis supports a wide range of applications. One focus is the manufacturing industry. Data centers are also a large, growing market. Other key application areas include buildings and infrastructure.
Adrian Hertstein: The software acts as a central energy management system. It can be used, for example, to monitor energy consumption in the electrical grid. Energy managers, plant operators, and technicians can analyze data in detail. This provides a reliable basis for evaluation and operational decisions.
Gridvis is currently available in version 9, release 9.2.63. Were specific customer requirements incorporated into the development?
Adrian Hertstein: Customer requirements have been directly incorporated into the development. One example is the new metering point management. Users can create both physical and virtual metering points. These metering points are directly included in reports. We have also developed a new report for electricity tax refunds in accordance with Sections 9a and 9b of the German Electricity Tax Act (StromStG). It serves as a ready-to-use template for applications. In addition, we have integrated device management into the web interface. This includes configuration and parameterization of the devices.
Gridvis now supports Azure SQL for data storage. This allows data to be hosted in the cloud if required. We have also implemented multiple performance improvements. This enables significantly faster data access.
How does the power grid monitoring software support companies in implementing energy efficiency measures and complying with legal requirements?
Tofas Florinas: The system enables comparisons between historical and current data. Users can compare current values to the previous day, week, or month. Gridvis covers more than electrical energy. Various interfaces allow the integration of gas, water, fluids, and compressed air data.
Adrian Hertstein: The ISO 50001 standard focuses primarily on identifying major energy consumers. These areas offer concrete potential for energy savings. The software creates transparency and provides a reliable basis for analysis. This enables targeted action where it has the greatest impact. This reduces costs, increases plant availability, and supports eligibility for subsidies.
Tofas Florinas: Gridvis provides compliant measurement and analysis data. This ensures compliance and supports energy audits. An ISO 50001 certification also meets the requirements for Bafa funding programs. Depending on company size, funding rates typically range from 25 to 45 percent.
What role does network visualization software play in monitoring power quality and residual current monitoring?
Adrian Hertstein: This functionality plays a central role, as it is an integral part of the software. It provides advanced tools for detailed power quality monitoring. The system analyzes how often peaks and short interruptions occur.
It also detects transients, i.e. disturbances within the voltage waveform. Janitza power quality analyzers record high-resolution data. This enables precise evaluation of event frequency. Users can assess power quality, identify internal and external sources of faults, and locate affected areas within the network.
Tofas Florinas: Some functions are standardized, such as the high availability report, with key parameters preselected by Janitza. Gridvis automatically collects the required data and integrates it into the report. This significantly reduces the effort for users.
Are there any new analysis functions or visualization tools in Gridvis 9?
Adrian Hertstein: The current version simplifies visualizations and reporting. Objects enable flexible design of dashboards and reports. New analysis objects provide additional depth. Regression analysis, for example, shows influencing factors and dependencies in energy consumption. Statistical curves show when events occur, how frequently and at what magnitude. This allows operators to assess the severity and impact of issues within their operations.
Tofas Florinas: We have also introduced a limit value monitoring system. An alarm is triggered when predefined thresholds are exceeded or not reached.
How is the power grid monitoring software structured? Are there different editions?
Adrian Hertstein: The software is available in several editions. The free “Essentials” edition enables commissioning of devices and provides initial power quality reports and analyses. In addition, there are the “Standard” and “Expert” editions. These differ in terms of their range of functions. The “Standard” edition offers an easy introduction to energy management. Gridvis “Expert” provides the full range of functions for maximum transparency.
Speaking of the cloud: What role does the cloud play in your software strategy?
Adrian Hertstein: We have integrated Digimondo, a specialist in IoT and cloud technologies, into the Janitza Group. The company contributes its own IoT platform. Cloud usage is a key element of our software strategy. We are currently combining our products with the solutions from Digimondo. Our new colleagues have extensive cloud expertise. This represents a major step forward for Janitza in this area.
What about interfaces or integration options, especially in existing systems?
Adrian Hertstein: We rely on open interfaces such as OPC UA, REST API, CSV, and Modbus. This enables integration of Janitza devices as well as third-party devices. Data is available via OPC UA or REST API. This includes both live data and historical records. Our system is also suitable for use as middleware. It serves as a central instance for data access and data distribution.
How about scalability, user-friendliness, and IT security?
Tofas Florinas: The software is highly scalable. This is essential, as project scope and application requirements vary. Depending on the number of measuring points, devices, or users, different packages are available.
Adrian Hertstein: User-friendliness is a top priority for us. In recent years, we have invested heavily in the user experience. We have strengthened our in-house expertise in this area by hiring additional specialists. This allows us to better meet future requirements. Cybersecurity has always been a key focus for Janitza. Regulatory requirements such as the Cyber Resilience Act are systematically integrated into product development. Our customers benefit from clearly defined security standards.
Can you give us an indication of what else is planned for the future?
Adrian Hertstein: The merger with Digimondo clearly indicates the direction we are taking. Software and cloud technology are increasingly merging. This convergence will have a greater impact on our work in the future. Our current version is still an on-premise solution. The IoT platform now provides a stable and scalable basis. We are building on this by integrating new products in a targeted, use case-driven way.
