IoT, the Internet of Things, has become a valuable instrument for the energy industry. Smart sensors generate immense volumes of real-time data quickly and give valuable insights to organizations. This makes integrating IoT incredibly helpful for utility businesses that manage energy objects in different locations. Businesses and energy control teams must make wise decisions, and IoT gives them powerful resources to do so.
However, raw data alone can’t drive decisions or create value. Companies that use IoT and maintain extensive networks of connected devices often struggle to effectively visualize the vast amounts of data these devices generate.
One of the best ways to interpret IoT data is to display it on a map. An interactive map turns raw sensor feeds into a clear, location-based view for instant energy insights. As a result, business management can monitor the situation and quickly take action in a specific zone.
What is IoT data visualization in energy management?
The Internet of Things describes devices with sensors, processing ability, software, and other technologies that connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the Internet or other communication networks.
In energy management, these live sensor and meter data are rendered in charts, infographics, and maps to reveal where energy is used or wasted. This enables energy managers and business stakeholders to quickly understand how, when, and where resources are consumed or wasted. As a result, they can develop effective strategies for energy efficiency and sustainability, driving business optimization and improving internal processes.
Benefits of visualizing IoT data on a map in the energy sector
IoT gives a lot of data. That’s simultaneously its strength and downside, at least for businesses. Companies need digestible chunks of information for fast action. Visualizing IoT data on a map brings powerful clarity to energy management, with many opportunities:
- Instant hotspot detection. Easily spot areas with unusually high energy consumption or device malfunctions, enabling fast response and reduced downtime.
- Smarter field crew dispatch. Optimize routes and schedules by knowing exactly where issues arise, reducing travel time, and operational costs.
- Cross-metric analysis in context. View multiple data layers using the Power BI system, such as energy usage, temperature, and maintenance history, on a single map to understand correlations and root causes.
- Reduction in manual paperwork. Digital dashboards replace static reports, streamlining workflows and minimizing administrative overhead.
- Scalability for large data volumes. Map-based interfaces easily handle massive, distributed data sets across cities, regions, or even countries.
- Real-time monitoring and updates. Teams can track task progress, see new alerts instantly, and make updates on the go, boosting responsiveness.
- Mobile-friendly interactivity. Field technicians and managers alike benefit from mobile map-based visuals that support touch interaction and updates on-site.
In the end, instead of sifting through raw data or static reports, decision-makers can see a real-time, location-based overview of energy usage and system performance and act more effectively.
Visual real-time IoT data in action for energy efficiency
Our Online map-based reporting solution for the energy sector integrates all the features into a single platform. We empowered a Ukrainian utility company to make smarter decisions regarding solar power objects monitoring and improve operational efficiency.
Our client, a company in the energy sector, owns several power plant panels on different sites and is actively expanding its facilities. One of the representatives, the Head of Technical Oversight, highlighted the need to optimize their business operations by accurately monitoring the performance of numerous assets.
The key requirement was a solution that could quickly display the status of each power plant on the interactive map. Essentially, the client waited for an MVP for us to launch and test the market demand. We built a cloud-native IoT data visualization on maps for SMB for solar power monitoring that has brought the client significant operational advantages.
IoT sensors collect live data, including critical meters from power and temperature from solar sites. The data is processed in Azure and visualized on an interactive map. Staff members can track performance, receive alerts, assign tasks, and generate reports. Field crews access everything via mobile, enabling faster responses and less paperwork. In the end, the client gained real-time visibility, streamlined operations, reduced energy losses, and scaled monitoring across all solar assets.
IoT data visualization challenges
Working with such complex technology as IoT requires deep technical knowledge and full immersion into the developing process. Many developers often face obstacles when designing map-based IoT data monitoring solutions. For example, in our case, where we had to build an interactive map-based IoT energy management platform, we encountered several technical challenges:
- Real-time integration with IoT sensors to track panel performance.
- Implementing a task and issue tracking system to manage incidents, scheduled tasks, improvements, and maintenance history for each panel.
- A detailed record of changes to track the condition and upgrades of every inspanidual panel.
- Addressing employee turnover by documenting planned tasks and deadlines for operational continuity.
- Ensuring secure, role-based access for a management team.
- Managing and scaling interactive objects like solar plants.
- Flexible mapping capabilities for exact zoning.
- Global access, high availability, and backup.
To effectively integrate these spanerse data types, a well-thought-out design and advanced tools are essential.
Best practices for visualizing IoT energy data on a map
With so much at stake, following the best practices for IoT data visualization from software development leaders will save you from risk and help design a reliable solution. We’ve made a compilation of the fundamental recommendations for visualizing IoT energy data on a map in the best way.
Consolidate IoT data from multiple sources
It’s important to avoid fragmented data by integrating readings from multiple devices, sites, or energy systems (e.g., solar panels, HVAC, meters). Instead, use a unified data pipeline to aggregate and normalize data before mapping.
Use map layers
Due to the nature of energy-related data, it makes more sense to display it in geographic, facility, or utility contexts. For this, use map layers for different data types: building outlines, sensor locations, grid zones, or climate zones.
Enable filtering and drilldowns
Users often need to narrow down by building, time, or device. Add filter controls (by site, device, time range) and allow zoom-in to detailed analytics per point.
Combine current data with historical trends
In real-time sensor data mapping for facility energy optimization, it’s crucial to enable functionality. This way, users can compare different energy consumption on the same map.
Building an interactive interface
Many energy teams work onsite. They need a mobile map interface for real-time energy consumption insights. So, optimize your map UI for tablets and mobile devices, with offline caching or lightweight view modes.
Enabling real-time updates
Energy consumption and generation data change constantly. So, it’s wise to implement live data feeds using technologies like WebSocket or MQTT. This will help achieve up-to-date visualization.
Highlighting alerts and anomalies visually
Outages or inefficiencies are typical issues that must be tracked in energy systems. And rapid response is critical. Showing pop-ups or color changes when thresholds are exceeded is a wise decision when creating a map-based IoT data visualization solution.
Ensuring scalable cloud architecture
The system that works with IoT data must be flexible and ensure scalability. During web-site development, design a solution with an app migration to cloud in mind so that it can grow easily as data volume or the number of monitored assets increases.
Integrating analytics and reporting
Connect mapped data with dashboards, reports, and insights for the energy sector to turn visualizations into actionable business intelligence.
How NetLS visualizes IoT-based data on a map in our solutions
At NetLS, we have proven experience designing reliable systems that ensure better geospatial IoT analytics for building energy efficiency. We have already established certain benchmarks for working on map-based projects for the energy sector. Our track record with similar projects means you can look forward to the following best-in-class practices:
- A unified interactive map displaying all assets with real-time status updates thanks to a pipeline that aggregates and normalizes data before mapping.
- Reliable sensor data collected to provide energy-saving recommendations.
- Support for ESG goals and regulatory reporting.
- Increased productivity of operational teams.
- Scalability and flexibility with Azure infrastructure.
- Improved competitiveness through modern technology adoption and business process optimization.
- Revenue growth, including new opportunities for better customer service, audience expansion, and market reach.
- Enhanced customer experience via quick reporting, tracking, and response to issues.
- Cost reduction and business process optimization through infrastructure optimization and the use of efficient technologies.
- There’s no need to learn or understand technical details, so the client can focus on business goals while the delivery team fully handles the tech side.
- Thanks to a fully autonomous team, cost and time optimization for hiring technical specialists eliminates the need for in-house hiring, saving time and budget.
- We handle the entire product development lifecycle (discovery → UI/UX → web development → support) using Agile methodology, providing a flexible system that encourages creativity while ensuring stable delivery of working functionality.
- Increased productivity as we implement solutions that optimize internal workflows and automate tasks to improve efficiency and performance across the company.
We implement energy&natural resources projects as part of our digital transformation and technology consulting services that help businesses innovate and gain an edge in the market. Cloud and data warehouse architecture, IoT data pipelines, custom dashboards, and automation solutions are our areas of expertise. Our team specializes in creating interactive, map-based visualization tools tailored to the needs of energy, utilities, and other businesses.
Are you looking to enhance IoT data management and unlock real-time insights? Explore how our experience in IoT solutions can help your business operate smarter and grow effectively. We deliver stable, efficient, and scalable services that directly enhance customer satisfaction. As a result, our solutions help energy companies serve their customers better and build long-term trust.
Yuliia Suprunenko