Submetering for industrial and commercial electrical distribution
Submetering divides a site's electrical consumption into measurable segments — incomer, distribution board, line, or tenant — so that energy data can be attributed rather than aggregated into a single utility bill. LOGGON TECH supplies the hardware layer for this: the DNS 9000 digital energy meter, the MDM3100 and MDM3001S multifunction meters, with the LOGGON-K1 platform proposed as the reporting layer (integration confirmed per project). The meters provide the measurement and the communication interface; the platform collects and presents the resulting data. This page describes where energy submetering is applied, which models carry which functions, and how to select and integrate them.
Where energy submetering is used
An energy submetering system is organised as a hierarchy. The incomer position measures the total site supply and establishes the reference against which all downstream readings are reconciled. The distribution level measures individual boards, feeders, or large loads such as compressors, chillers, or production lines. The line or tenant level measures the final circuits that are attributed to a specific cost centre, department, or tenant space. Each level answers a different question: the incomer confirms total consumption, the distribution level identifies where consumption occurs, and the line or tenant level assigns it.
The hierarchy is also an accuracy check. Summing the readings of all downstream meters and comparing the result with the incomer reading over the same interval exposes unmetered loads, wiring errors, or a meter that has dropped off the bus. This reconciliation is only possible if all meters are read over the same time base and store interval data consistently.
Typical applications include industrial plants allocating energy to production lines or departments, commercial buildings allocating consumption to tenants, and facility operators tracking specific high-load equipment. In each case the purpose is the same: convert a single incoming bill into a set of attributable measurements that support cost allocation and, where required, tenant billing data.
Models in this range
DNS 9000 digital energy meter
- Measures active, reactive, and combined energy.
- Multi-tariff energy registers.
- RS485 interface with Modbus protocol.
- Pulse output for energy pulsing to external equipment.
- Suitable for single-phase and three-phase systems, including unbalanced loads.
The DNS 9000 is the energy-focused unit in the range. Because it registers active, reactive, and combined energy separately and supports multiple tariffs, it is suited to positions where consumption must be split by time period as well as by quantity. The pulse output allows the meter to feed a separate pulse-counting device where one already exists in the installation.
MDM3100 multifunction meter
- Measures full electrical parameters, not energy alone.
- RS-485 communication.
- Optional Ethernet or Profibus modules.
The MDM3100 covers the full parameter set — voltage, current, power, and related quantities alongside energy — so it can serve both metering and general electrical monitoring at the same point. The optional Ethernet and Profibus modules allow it to connect to networks other than a plain RS-485 bus, which matters where the site standard is an Ethernet or fieldbus backbone.
MDM3001S multifunction meter
- Measures full electrical parameters.
- RS-485 communication.
- Multi-tariff energy registers.
The MDM3001S combines full parameter measurement with multi-tariff energy registration on an RS-485 interface. It is relevant where tariff-based energy data and general electrical monitoring are needed at the same metering point.
How to select
Selection starts from the position in the hierarchy and the data required at that position. A first filter is whether the point needs energy registers only or the full parameter set. If the point requires current, voltage, and power as well as energy, an MDM3100 or MDM3001S is appropriate; if energy registration is the sole requirement, the DNS 9000 covers it. A second filter is tariff structure: where consumption must be split across tariff periods, the DNS 9000 and MDM3001S both provide multi-tariff registers.
Network architecture is the third filter. All three models communicate over RS-485; the MDM3100 additionally accepts optional Ethernet or Profibus modules. Where the site already runs an RS-485 Modbus segment to a gateway or logger, check each model's documented interface before assigning it to that segment. Where meters must attach directly to an Ethernet or Profibus network, the MDM3100 with the relevant module avoids an additional protocol conversion stage.
System type must also be confirmed. The DNS 9000 is specified for single-phase and three-phase systems including unbalanced loads; phase configuration at each metering point should be checked against this before ordering. Finally, define the data granularity the reporting layer will consume — interval length, number of registers, and tariff count — because this determines how many values each meter must store and how often the polling system must read them. Higher granularity supports more detailed cost allocation but increases communication traffic and storage requirements; the hierarchy should be designed so that only the positions that need fine granularity are polled at that rate.
Integration and communication
All three meter models provide RS-485 communication, and the DNS 9000 uses Modbus over that interface. In a typical arrangement the meters are connected as a bus segment — where each model's protocol variant and communication settings are confirmed compatible — polled by a data collector or gateway, and the collected data is passed to a reporting layer such as the LOGGON-K1 platform (integration confirmed per project). The platform does not measure; it receives, stores, and presents the data supplied by the meters.
Two integration details deserve attention at design stage. First, bus topology and termination: RS-485 segments should be laid out as a single trunk with short drops, correct termination at the ends, and consistent baud rate and parity settings across all nodes. Second, addressing: each meter on the segment needs a unique address, and the address plan should be recorded against the physical hierarchy so that a reading can be traced to a specific board or tenant without ambiguity. Where the MDM3100 is fitted with an Ethernet or Profibus module, the address and segment planning follows the rules of that network rather than the RS-485 trunk.
The pulse output on the DNS 9000 is a separate integration path, allowing energy pulses to be passed to existing pulse-counting equipment where such equipment is part of the installation.
FAQ
Can these meters be used for tenant billing?
The meters provide the measurement data that supports tenant billing, and the LOGGON-K1 platform is proposed as the reporting layer (integration confirmed per project). Billing certification and revenue-grade compliance are not documented for this range, so where legally mandated billing accuracy applies, the applicable requirements should be confirmed independently before the system is specified for that purpose.
Which model should be used at the incomer?
The incomer position benefits from full parameter measurement, which points to the MDM3100 or MDM3001S. If only energy registration is required at that point, the DNS 9000 covers it. The choice depends on whether voltage, current, and power data are needed at the incomer for monitoring or reconciliation.
Can the meters handle unbalanced three-phase loads?
The DNS 9000 is specified for single-phase and three-phase systems including unbalanced loads. For the MDM3100 and MDM3001S, phase configuration at each point should be checked against the product data before ordering.
How does data reach the reporting layer?
Meters are polled over RS-485, or over Ethernet or Profibus where an MDM3100 is fitted with the relevant optional module. Collected data is passed to the reporting layer (the LOGGON-K1 platform is proposed; integration confirmed per project).
A submetering design is only as useful as its hierarchy is clear. Define the incomer, distribution, and line or tenant positions first, assign each position the data it actually needs, and select the model against that requirement: DNS 9000 for energy registers with multi-tariff and pulse output, MDM3100 for full parameters with optional Ethernet or Profibus, MDM3001S for full parameters with multi-tariff on RS-485. Plan the bus, addressing, and polling interval together with the reporting layer so that readings from every level can be reconciled against the incomer.