Belden Horizon
Factory Insights
Energy Use Optimization
Solution Brief
Energy Monitoring and Optimization
Belden Horizon Factory Insights, in partnership with Edge2Web and powered by AWS IoT SiteWise, transforms how today’s manufacturers manage energy in their factories. This joint solution goes beyond traditional monitoring—delivering real-time visibility into energy consumption, production efficiency, and sustainability KPIs through intuitive dashboards and GenAI-driven insights. Built on a cloud-native, no-code platform, it seamlessly connects edge data acquisition with contextualized analytics, empowering manufacturers to reduce costs, optimize operations, and accelerate their journey toward intelligent, energy-efficient factories.
Table of Contents
- Current state and typical challenges 2
- Edge2Web + Belden CloudRail solution 3
- Turning data into insights 4
Current State of Energy Monitoring in Smart Factories
Manufacturers aiming to optimize energy usage and reduce costs face significant challenges when deploying smart factory energy monitoring systems:
Technology and Integration Challenges
- Fragmented plant systems hinder capturing consistent energy data
- Manual asset modeling slows accurate energy profiling
- Limited edge integration blocks real-time visibility
Operational and Implementation Challenges
- Complex setup delays energy dashboard deployment
- Shortage of experts for energy interpretation
- Siloed data locks customers into proprietary data stores
- High costs and long implementation timelines
- Delayed energy optimization and sustainability progress
- Higher operational costs from inefficient energy use
- Limited cloud and AI knowledge for insights
Impact of These Challenges
85% of discrete manufacturers lack analytical capabilities to derive actionable insights from energy data. These issues often lead to:
- Missed opportunities for performance and cost savings
- Opportunities for performance optimization
90% of discrete manufacturers say fragmented energy data coming from varied devices hinders their ability in unlocking value from energy use information.
95% of discrete manufacturers rely on experience-based, rather than data-driven, operations for major energy-consuming equipment.
In many manufacturing organizations, optimizing energy use is a shared priority across multiple functional areas. Key leadership stakeholders may include the following:
- Manufacturing VP
The Edge2Web + Belden CloudRail Solution
The Edge2Web + Belden CloudRail solution combines:
- Belden CloudRail: A plug-and-play system linking 30,000+ industrial sensors with automated data contextualization, normalization, and secure transfer to AWS IoT SiteWise.
- Edge2Web Power Tools: AI-driven analytics and visualizations that provide instant insights into energy consumption and cost by asset, line, site, and other useful metrics.
The Belden + Edge2Web Smart Factory Energy Solution empowers manufacturers to turn energy data into actionable insights. With rapid deployment, no-code customization, and seamless AWS integration, it enables real-time monitoring of energy consumption, predictive analytics, and GenAI-driven recommendations. This approach helps manufacturers meet aggressive sustainability targets, lower energy costs, and optimize operations—making energy-focused digital transformation tangible.
| Value Drivers |
|---|
| No-Code Tools: Create custom KPIs, dashboards, and scorecards without programming |
| Edge-to-AWS integration: Direct data flow into AWS IoT Sitewise ensures data accessibility, governance, and ownership |
| GenAI Assistance: AI-powered summaries, alerts, and digital playbooks for faster decision-making |
| Multi-Protocol Support: Connects to over 30,000+ industrial sensors |
| Scalability: From single-site deployments to global, multi-site operations |
| Positive Outcomes |
| Rapid Deployment: Configure and launch in days, not months |
| Reduced Costs: Minimize custom development and integration expenses |
| Improved Visibility: Real-time insights into asset energy monitoring and process efficiency |
| Enhanced Productivity: Empower operators with intuitive tools and alerts |
| Future-Ready: Integrates with AWS services for ML, analytics & GenAI |
Turning Data into Insights
Together, these components form a scalable, end-to-end smart energy monitoring solution that is fast to deploy, easy to configure, and extensible with no-code and low-code tools.
How It Works
- Data Acquisition: Belden CloudRail collects and normalizes data from shop floor devices.
- Cloud Ingestion: Data is securely transmitted to AWS IoT SiteWise.
- KPI Computation: Edge2Web Power Tools (EPT) compute standard and custom energy monitoring KPIs.
- Visualization: EPT dashboards and scorecards provide instant insights into energy consumption and cost.
- AI Integration: GenAI tools assist with best practices and recommendations for energy optimization.
About Belden
Belden Inc. delivers the infrastructure that makes the digital journey simpler, smarter, and secure. We’re moving beyond connectivity, from what we make to what we make possible through a performance-driven portfolio, forward-thinking expertise, and purpose-built solutions. With a legacy of quality and reliability spanning 120-plus years, we have a strong foundation to continue building the future. We are headquartered in St. Louis and have manufacturing capabilities in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.