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Testo Smart Probes – The Smart Way to Manage Energy Consumption

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Wherever they are in the world, businesses are under pressure to use energy more efficiently.

In September 2017, figures published by UK consumer website MoneySavingExpert.com showed that average energy costs have increased by 5.3 percent over the last year, which marks their steepest rise since February 2014. The cost of electricity alone, the data shows, has risen by 9 percent. (The Independent, Wednesday 20 September 2017)

Globally, most governments are putting businesses under increasing pressure to reduce emissions. In 2016, for example, the German government introduced an action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 to 95% by 2050, a plan, which will require German industry to reduce its CO2 emission by a fifth by 2030.

But as the pressure to reduce energy consumption grows, so forward-thinking test and measurement manufacturers are developing innovations to identify and resolve HVAC issues quicker than ever.

Testo Smart Probes – High Tech from Germany

For more than 60 years from their base in the Black Forest, German test and measurement manufacturers Testo have developed innovative measurement technology, producing high-precision instruments for many different sectors.

Testo Smart Probes are yet another Testo innovation, comprising a comprehensive range of compact measuring instruments which can be connected to a smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth, and operated entirely via a Free Smart probes App. They help heating and ventilation engineers to capture, process, present and analyse critical data on the spot, fast, bringing convenience and speed to the measurement process and enabling fast decision-making. Since their launch in Spring 2016, the Smart Probes have proved a massive hit among HVAC contractors.

Samira Daher, EMEA Distribution Manager at Testo comments: “Smartphones and tablets make our day-to-day life easier in almost every situation, from searching for answers on google to watching step by step guides on YouTube. So our Product Design team started thinking “How could we use wireless technology to make HVAC contractors’ lives easier?” Our Smart Probes range is the result of that thought process.”

The Testo Smart Probe App – Data at Your Finger Tips

The benefit of the Testo Smart Probes range is that it allows engineers to collect and review large volumes of measurement data quickly and efficiently, via the ‘Testo Smart Probes’ App.

Not only does the app allow users to read measurements quickly, it also lets them view data in graph or tabular format to analyse trends, to download in pdf or excel format so they can email to customers or colleagues for further analysis, or take measurements from up to six smart probes at a time – meaning that they can contrast and compare results.

Daher adds, “What we wanted with our Smart Probes launch was to use wireless technology to give our customers more data more quickly, helping them to make decisions faster, ultimately putting them in greater control of overall energy usage.”

All Smart Probes are operated via the ‘Testo Smart Probes’ App. It offers the user many practical functions including:

  • Ability to clearly read the measurement values
  • Option to display the measurement data in either graph or tabular form
  • Downloadable measurement data as a PDF report or Excel file, at the touch of a button
  • Application-specific measurement menus, depending on the instrument
  • Take readings from up to 6 Smart Probes at a time, making comparisons between multiple measurements easier than ever

The App itself is completely free and is available for iOS from the App Store and Android via Google Play.

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Something for Every Application

Testo has developed a full selection of smart measurement probes to cater for all HVAC-focussed applications. In total, eight Smart Probes types are available:

  • testo 410i Vane Anemometer Smart and Wireless Probe  (913-2579)
  • testo 605i Thermal Hygrometer Bluetooth Probe  (913-2585)
  • testo 805i Infrared Thermometer Bluetooth Probe  (913-2591)
  • testo 549i High-Pressure Bluetooth Gauge  (913-2581)
  • testo 115i Bluetooth Clamp Thermometer  (913-2594)
  • testo 510i Bluetooth Differential Pressure Meter  (913-2588)
  • testo 405i Bluetooth Thermal Anemometer  (913-2575)
  • testo 905i Thermometer Smart and Wireless Probe  (913-2597)

 

As well as being available as individual products, three kits options are available for the following application areas:

testo Heating Kit is for temperature and pressure measurement within heating systems and includes a differential pressure manometer which allows measurement and checking of volume flow, airflow and static pressure, plus infrared thermometers and clamp.

testo VAC Kit is for measuring, balancing and optimising ventilation systems as well as troubleshooting issues. Including an infrared thermometer for assessing the condition of electrical equipment, a thermohygrometer for checking humidity, plus hot wire and vane anemometers for measuring volume flow, temperature and air velocity.

testo AC/R Kit is suitable for error detection, servicing, maintenance and commissioning of refrigeration and air conditioning systems. It comes with two pressure probes for simultaneously measuring low- and high-side refrigeration pressure and two clamp thermometers for monitoring cooling and heating pipes.

Innovative product and technology marketeer, enthusiastic writer and translator, and author of the ultimately underwhelming blog "Oneday711": technology, travel, sport. Particularly interested in the impact innovation has on our lives - good and bad.
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