Acrel Prepaid Cloud Platform Solution

I. Solution Overview

Acrel Prepaid Cloud Platform is a comprehensive power management solution based on cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and modern communication technologies. The platform aims to provide convenient, efficient, and intelligent prepaid management services for various types of electricity users (such as residential communities, commercial complexes, industrial parks, schools, hospitals, etc.), enabling functions such as prepaid billing, real-time monitoring, remote control, and data analysis. This helps users optimize power management, reduce operating costs, and improve energy utilization efficiency.

II. System Architecture

The Acrel Prepaid Cloud Platform adopts a layered architecture design to ensure system stability, reliability, and scalability:

1. Sensing Layer:

Composed of Acrel series prepaid smart meters (such as ADL100-EYNK, ADL300-EYNK, ADF400L, etc.), current transformers, concentrators (such as ANet-1E2S1, ANet-2E4SM, etc.), and data acquisition terminals. Smart meters collect user electricity consumption, voltage, current, power, and other electrical parameters in real time, and upload the data to the concentrator or directly to the cloud platform through various communication methods such as RS485, WIFI, Ethernet, and 4G.

2. Network Layer:

Responsible for data transmission and forwarding, including fieldbus (RS485), local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and mobile cellular networks (4G/5G/LoRaWAN), ensuring secure, stable, and efficient data transmission to the cloud platform.

3. Platform Layer:

Deployed on cloud servers, using advanced cloud architecture (such as microservice architecture), with powerful computing, storage, and processing capabilities. The platform core includes data reception and parsing modules, data storage and management modules, business logic processing modules, and API interface modules, providing stable data support and services for upper-layer applications.

4. Application Layer:

Provides diverse application services for different user roles (such as administrators, operation and maintenance personnel, and ordinary users), including a Web management platform, mobile apps (Android/iOS), and WeChat official accounts/mini-programs, enabling functions such as user management, meter management, recharge and payment, power consumption monitoring, report analysis, and alarm notifications.

III. Core Functional Modules

1. User Management:

o Account Management: Supports the creation and permission assignment of multiple roles, including administrator accounts, operator accounts, and ordinary user accounts, ensuring system operation security.

o Customer Profiles: Establishes detailed user profile information, including user name, address, contact information, affiliated power distribution area/building/unit, associated electricity meter, etc.

o Role Permissions: Provides granular permission control, allowing different operational permissions to be set for different user roles, such as viewing permissions, top-up permissions, operation permissions, and management permissions.

2. Electricity Meter Management:

o Device Registration: Supports the batch or individual addition, registration, and parameter configuration of electricity meter devices, including meter model, communication method, address code, multiplier, electricity price plan, and alarm thresholds (such as low balance threshold, overdue payment trip threshold).

o Status Monitoring: Real-time monitoring of the electricity meter's operating status, such as online status, switch status (on/off), and fault status, and displays this information intuitively on the platform.

o Remote Control: Supports remote tripping and closing operations for smart meters, which can be used for power outages due to overdue payments, remote resets, etc.

o Data Acquisition: Collects data such as total electricity consumption, remaining balance, current power, voltage, current, and power factor from the electricity meter at regular intervals or in real time.

3. Prepaid Management:

o Top-up and Payment: Supports multiple top-up methods, such as manual top-up by administrators in the backend, self-service online top-up by users via APP/WeChat/Alipay, and offline payments. Top-up records are clearly traceable.

o Electricity Price Management: Supports multiple electricity price plan settings, such as single price, peak-valley-flat price, and tiered pricing, and allows different electricity price standards to be set for different user types or regions.

o Cost Calculation: The system automatically calculates electricity costs based on the preset electricity price and actual electricity consumption, and deducts the amount from the user's prepaid balance.

o Balance Warning: When the user's electricity meter balance falls below a set threshold, the system automatically sends a low balance reminder to the user via APP push notifications, SMS, WeChat, etc.

o Overdue Payment Management: When the user's prepaid balance is exhausted, the system can automatically perform a tripping and power outage operation according to the configuration and send an overdue payment notification; after the user tops up, power supply can be restored automatically or manually.

4. Electricity Monitoring and Analysis:

o Real-time Monitoring: Real-time display of current electricity data (current, voltage, power, power factor, remaining balance, cumulative electricity consumption, etc.) for each user/meter in the form of lists and charts (bar charts, line charts, etc.).

o Historical Data Query: Supports querying historical electricity consumption, recharge records, payment records, and tripping records for users/meters, and allows statistical analysis by time dimensions such as day, week, month, and year.

o Electricity Reports: Automatically generates various electricity reports, such as user electricity consumption details, overdue user reports, recharge summary reports, and electricity consumption statistical analysis reports (by region, account number, time, etc.), and supports report export (Excel, PDF, etc. formats).

o Energy Consumption Analysis: In-depth analysis of user electricity data to analyze consumption trends, peak and off-peak consumption, and energy efficiency, providing users with energy-saving suggestions.

5. Alarms and Notifications:

o Anomaly Alarms: The system immediately triggers an alarm when abnormal situations occur, such as meter offline, overvoltage, undervoltage, overcurrent, overload, meter failure, insufficient balance, or power outage due to non-payment.

o Notification Methods: Supports sending alarm information and notifications to administrators and users through multiple methods, including platform messages, mobile APP push notifications, SMS, and WeChat official account messages.

o Alarm Records: All alarm events are recorded in the system and can be queried and traced at any time.

6. System Management:

o Log Management: Records all system operation logs, login logs, device communication logs, etc., ensuring system operation is auditable.

o Parameter Configuration: Configures and manages platform operating parameters, communication parameters, alarm thresholds, etc.

o Data Backup and Recovery: Regularly backs up platform data to ensure data security and supports data recovery functions.

IV. Applicable Scenarios

• Commercial Real Estate: Independent metering and prepaid management for tenants in shopping malls, office buildings, and shopping centers.
• Residential Communities: Prepaid management for residential users or public facilities within the community (such as charging stations and secondary water supply).
• Industrial Parks/Factories: Metering, billing, and monitoring of electricity consumption for enterprises and factories within the industrial park.
• Schools/Hospitals: Independent metering and prepaid control for student dormitories, staff dormitories, hospital departments, etc.
• Hotels/Apartments: Metering and billing management for electricity consumption in guest rooms and apartments.
• Public Facilities: Monitoring and management of electricity consumption for public facilities such as municipal streetlights and public restrooms.