Case Study: From Field to Cloud

Last Updated on 2025-10-29

The digital transformation of power grids is no longer a futuristic vision—it’s a necessity. Across Europe, utilities are upgrading their infrastructure to meet rising energy demands, integrate renewable sources, and deliver resilience in the face of growing complexity.

Hungary’s ELMŰ-ÉMÁSZ, one of the country’s leading electricity providers, is no exception. In a large-scale modernization project, the utility partnered with WM Systems to introduce advanced industrial routers for the monitoring and remote control of medium-voltage networks.

This case study highlights how state-of-the-art communication technology can transform network operations, reduce downtime, and pave the way for a more automated, reliable grid.

The Challenge: Modernizing a Legacy Network

Like most utilities, ELMŰ-ÉMÁSZ manages a sprawling infrastructure where the backbone lies in medium-voltage distribution. These networks are vital in connecting high-voltage transmission with local low-voltage supply, ensuring that energy reliably reaches households, businesses, and critical infrastructure.

Historically, many of Hungary’s medium-voltage switchgear installations had limited remote-control capability. Local operators could manage sections manually, but real-time monitoring and automated reconfiguration were minimal. This created several problems:

• Longer outage recovery times: manual intervention required site visits.
• Limited situational awareness: operators lacked live data on consumption peaks or transformer failures.
• Operational inefficiency: costly truck rolls and delayed reactions in emergency situations.

To address these challenges, ELMŰ-ÉMÁSZ issued a tender for a new monitoring and control solution. The requirements were clear: integrate advanced Remote Terminal Units (RTUs), ensure reliable data communication with the SCADA control center, and do so in an environment with strict space and installation constraints.

The Competitive Landscape

The tender drew interest from major international players such as Siemens, ABB (Hitachi Energy), and Prolan Power. These companies brought decades of experience in automation and control. WM Systems, a Hungarian manufacturer specializing in industrial cellular IoT devices, was invited to participate through its partnership with Hitachi Energy.

The competition underscored two realities of today’s grid modernization market. First, utilities prefer tried-and-tested global suppliers for mission-critical infrastructure. Second, success often depends on highly specialized partners who can provide flexible, niche technologies that address specific operational needs. WM Systems found its place in the latter category.

The WM Systems Solution

At the heart of the project was the need for secure, compact, and reliable wireless communication between RTUs and the central SCADA platform. The WM Systems team proposed its industrial-grade LTE routers—products designed for demanding IoT environments where robustness and stability are paramount.

Initially, the M2M Router 4G LTE Cat.4 was recommended. However, after analyzing actual bandwidth needs, WM Systems determined that the more cost-efficient LTE Cat.1 technology would suffice, providing significant savings without compromising performance. This ability to right-size the technology to the use case was key to winning the customer’s trust.

• Ultra-compact size (1M standard, 88 x 54 x 17.5 mm), allowing installation even in cramped existing switchgear cabinets.
• Integrated DIN rail mounting, simplifying installation and reducing engineering time.
• User-friendly design, with well-positioned SIM slots, antenna connectors, and cable access.
• Remote configuration and management, accessible over secure mobile networks.
• Future-proof software base, ensuring long-term stability and scalability.

The DIN Rail Router quickly proved itself as the preferred choice for future RTU refurbishments, thanks to its price-to-performance ratio and operational simplicity.

Implementation and Integration

The routers were deployed as part of Hitachi Energy’s RTU-based automation system. Each RTU monitors and logs dozens of electrical parameters—voltage, current, frequency—that feed into the SCADA platform for centralized control. With WM Systems’ routers providing the secure LTE connection, RTUs could now:

• Communicate with each other in a closed APN (private LTE environment).
• Relay critical data to the control center in real time.
• Receive commands for automated switching, isolation, or reconfiguration.

This setup allowed “semi-automatic” local RTU control to evolve into full-scale remote automation, minimizing manual interventions.

WM Systems also played a consultative role during integration, ensuring seamless interoperability between its routers and Hitachi Energy’s RTUs.

Results: A More Resilient and Automated Grid

The project delivered tangible benefits to ELMŰ-ÉMÁSZ:

1. Improved reliability: With automated switching, outages that previously required site visits can now be resolved remotely in seconds.
2. Operational efficiency: Reduced truck rolls and faster response times save both time and costs.
3. Enhanced safety: Fewer field visits mean lower risk exposure for technicians.
4. Scalability: The compact routers can be rolled out nationwide, with thousands already installed.
5. Future-readiness: The LTE-based solution ensures long-term compatibility with evolving communication standards.

Beyond immediate operational improvements, the project also represents a broader shift in how utilities think about digitalization. Remote monitoring and IoT-enabled automation are no longer optional—they are the foundation of modern grid management.

Strategic Takeaways for Utilities

This case study offers lessons that extend well beyond Hungary:

• Right-size the technology: Bigger isn’t always better. LTE Cat.1 proved perfectly adequate compared to Cat.4, cutting costs without reducing effectiveness.
• Compactness matters: Retrofitting legacy infrastructure often comes down to physical constraints. DIN rail form factors offer enormous advantages in this context.
• Partnerships drive success: Large global suppliers like Hitachi Energy rely on nimble specialists like WM Systems to provide custom-fit solutions.
• Automation multiplies value: Real-time communication doesn’t just improve visibility—it enables end-to-end automation, unlocking exponential reliability gains.

Looking Ahead

Building on the success of the ELMŰ-ÉMÁSZ project, WM Systems has continued to expand its router portfolio with added features such as integrated GPS and Wi-Fi. These capabilities further broaden the use cases for industrial IoT connectivity in energy, manufacturing, and smart city applications.

For utilities facing the dual challenge of modernizing legacy infrastructure while preparing for a renewable-heavy future, this project is a compelling example of what’s possible when innovation meets operational pragmatism.

Conclusion

The ELMŰ-ÉMÁSZ and WM Systems collaboration demonstrates how smart communication devices can breathe new life into legacy infrastructure. By combining compact industrial routers with robust RTUs and SCADA systems, the project created a fully automated, remotely controlled medium-voltage network that is faster, safer, and more reliable.

As utilities worldwide strive to make their grids more resilient and future-ready, this Hungarian case study stands as a blueprint for how to get it done—one compact router at a time.