Cenareo connects to EcoWatt for responsible communication

With the aim of preventing power cuts due to high network voltage, the EcoWatt application was launched in October 2022. Aimed at individuals, businesses and local authorities, it works with the Cenareo solution to control a fleet of digital signage screens in a reasoned way. In this article, find out how and why Cenareo connects to EcoWatt.

What is EcoWatt?

EcoWatt is a system deployed throughout mainland France. It is designed to help you better manage your electricity consumption, in order to anticipate the risk of power cuts. The EcoWatt application was developed by French electricity grid operator RTE and Ademe, the French Environment and Energy Management Agency. Available on the Internet and on mobile, the EcoWatt service is presented as the electricity weather forecast.

It shares the electricity consumption levels of the French population in real time, making visible any peak consumption periods that may cause tension. By making this information public, the EcoWatt application enables everyone to take action by adapting their energy consumption at the right moment. Here are some of the key measures recommended for more responsible consumption:

• Reduce street lighting;
• Widespread use of LED lighting;
• Turn off unnecessary lights;
• Switch off non-essential displays or lighting;
• Reduce heating temperature (19°C or less) ;
• Limit energy consumption at the end of the day in unoccupied premises;
• Recharge electric vehicles and shift certain domestic uses to off-peak hours.

Using a simple color code, consumers are informed of the times when the network is most under voltage, thanks to the EcoWatt application. In the event of an alert, they are invited to optimize their consumption by making more responsible choices, in the morning between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. and in the early evening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Why connect Cenareo to EcoWatt?

The Cenareo content management system dedicated to digital signage enables you to manage your screen fleet in a more rational way, with a view to making better use of our resources. As part of an eco-responsible approach, the Cenareo solution can be easily coupled with the EcoWatt service, thanks to its public API. This means you can act in real time to reduce your energy consumption and save money. On a day-to-day basis, the Cenareo solution allows you to precisely adjust the time slots for switching on screens, to avoid unnecessary broadcasting of messages that won't reach their target. In stores or corporate offices, the system automatically switches off screens when the premises are closed.

Thanks to its connection to the EcoWatt service, the screen network now adapts to the application's forecasts, reducing screen brightness during periods of power grid tension. To contextualize messages and increase their reach and impact tenfold, it is also possible to broadcast prevention content before a tense time slot, with the aim of raising audience awareness of eco-actions. Powerful communication tools, digital signage screens can be used to relay messages inviting people to adopt a more responsible stance towards energy consumption.

In corporate environments, digital signage screens encourage employees to act in favor of more responsible consumption. Digital signage's power of attraction and memorization is beneficial to the success of this type of awareness campaign. Thanks to a dedicated broadcast loop, it is possible to communicate messages encouraging employees to reduce heating temperatures or turn off unnecessary lights inside the premises during working hours. When EcoWatt signals that the power grid is on alert and that eco-actions are essential to avoid load shedding, the digital signage screens automatically switch off. At the end of the period of extreme voltage, the screens will be switched back on, to take part in collective efforts to save electricity while the network is overloaded.

How does it work?

The EcoWatt mobile application lets you check at a glance the level of electricity consumption in France, cross-referenced with that of production and possible imports. The state of the grid is shown on a map of mainland France, in real time. The application also provides +3-day forecasts. The EcoWatt color code illustrates network voltage, to guide consumers in their electricity management:

• Green: the electrical network is functioning normally;
• Orange: the electrical network is under strain, it is advisable to reduce consumption;
• Red: the electrical network is under extreme strain, so eco-actions are necessary.

However, the red signal does not necessarily indicate that a power cut is imminent. If everyone reduces their consumption in time, there will be no load shedding blackouts. Otherwise, targeted blackouts will occur for a maximum of 2 hours. The EcoWatt application also enables users to register for the "vigilance blackout alert" system. This system allows you to be warned 72 hours in advance if there is a risk of power cuts in your area, so that you can start reducing your consumption. If efforts have not been sufficient, users will be notified at 5 p.m., the day before the blackout, of areas affected by load shedding.

Thanks to the connection between EcoWatt and the Cenareo solution, digital signage and sustainable development become compatible. The digital signage software controls the distribution of your content according toEcoWatt forecasts, so you can make intelligent use of your screens.

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Are you interested in digital signage, but want to manage your screens responsibly? With Cenareo, you can automatically and appropriately contribute to the national effort to reduce electricity consumption.

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