One advantage of having an electrical and automation background is that our own workshop tends to become the test bed. If there is a repetitive job, something worth monitoring or a system that could respond more intelligently, there is a fair chance we will eventually automate it.
Automation should solve a problem
We like automation, but not simply for the sake of making something complicated. Around our own workshop and property, the useful systems are the ones that remove repetitive jobs, tell us when something is wrong or let equipment respond automatically to what is happening.
That might mean a sensor turning something on, monitoring power consumption, checking temperatures, watching a tank or pump, or sending information somewhere it can actually be useful.
Sensors are often where it starts
A surprisingly useful automation system can start with simple information: temperature, movement, whether a door is open, electrical power being consumed, water level or whether a piece of equipment is actually running.
Once that information is available, it can be recorded, displayed, compared with previous readings or used to make decisions automatically.
Lighting that responds to how an area is used
Lighting is a simple example. Rather than relying only on a fixed timer, workshop lighting can respond to movement, doors and whether an area is actually occupied.
The useful part is not that a light can turn itself on. It is being able to make the behaviour suit the area: perhaps using a lower level initially, keeping lights on while work continues and extending the timer when a door is opened.
Monitoring equipment instead of waiting for it to fail
Power monitoring can tell us much more than how much electricity something uses. Changes in consumption can indicate when equipment starts, stops or behaves differently from normal.
The same principle can be applied to pumps, refrigeration, workshop equipment and other electrical loads. In the right application, knowing that something has stopped working can be much more valuable than discovering the problem hours or days later.
Pumps, tanks and rural properties
Rural properties are particularly suited to practical automation because equipment is often spread over a large area. Pumps, tanks, sheds and other systems may be a long way from the house or workshop.
Depending on the job, sensors and controls can be used to monitor levels, operate pumps, record activity and report faults. Remote monitoring can also reduce the need to physically visit equipment simply to find out whether everything is operating normally.
Getting information back from remote equipment
Not every useful system is conveniently located beside an internet connection. Depending on the site, communications might use ordinary networking, Wi-Fi, radio, mobile data or other links.
The important part is choosing technology that suits the actual job rather than forcing every problem into the same solution.
The unusual jobs are often the interesting ones
SECS comes from an industrial electrical, electronics, control and automation background, so we are comfortable when a job crosses the boundary between ordinary electrical work and controls, sensors, communications or software.
Sometimes the answer is a straightforward electrical repair. Sometimes it is a sensor, relay or controller. Sometimes several systems need to talk to each other. The objective is still the same: make the equipment do something useful and make it reliable enough that you do not have to constantly think about it.
In Short
Good automation should disappear into the background. It should save a trip, catch a problem, turn something on when it is needed or give you information that helps you make a decision. It does not need to be complicated, and on rural properties some of the simplest automation can be the most useful.