eDAS 4.0® can monitor all of your environmental data

Technical Director Gary Thursfield blogs about eDAS 4.0®, EMS’s environmental data acquisition system.  eDAS 4.0® collects all of your environmental data in one place, making it simple to visualise, control, record and report.

Our environmental data acquisition system, eDAS 4.0®, has evolved to offer industry users the most adaptable and hands-on approach to their environmental management.

It is an environmental data acquisition system that collects all of your environmental performance data in one place. It is more important than ever to be able to demonstrate how you are following environmental regulations, and the centralisation of data is key. eDAS 4.0® can help you do this by collecting and displaying monitoring data in a user-friendly dashboard, enabling you to stay compliant.

Why do businesses need eDAS 4.0®?

eDAS 4.0® has been developed by experts at EMS to allow businesses to segregate their environmental performance data from other industrial data collection.

eDAS was born from the need to quickly access environmental compliance data from the plethora of workplace process data collected by generic supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems.  It is essentially a smaller network that collects just the data needed by your Health, Safety, Environment and Quality (HSEQ) manager.

What is the problem with collecting environmental data?

Without eDAS 4.0®, environmental data is collected by SCADA systems along with all other process data. Separating out and processing the data you need can be a manual and onerous task. Regular monitoring of data is essential for environmental compliance. If it can’t be accessed quickly and easily, this could put your compliance at risk.

The practical benefits of eDAS 4.0® as a solution

eDAS 4.0® acts as a hub for all of your environmental monitoring equipment.  A variety of instruments can be connected to this hub. These instruments can communicate with the hub in various ways. The instruments can connect via electrical signals, ethernet, bus protocol, and wirelessly. This has been made possible through sensor and software technology developments. You can also add remote input/output modules, or have multiple hubs on complex sites – with the ability to overcome physical barriers such as separate buildings, roads, rivers etc. eDAS 4.0® can connect to and collate data from all environmental monitoring equipment, even when the site is very complex. You can connect your equipment (monitors, sensors and meters) to outputs to alert you if levels may breach your compliance. Equipment inputs can include water flow meters, dust monitors, and weighing scales, which can connect to outputs such as alarms, beacons, valves or pumps.

Technological benefits of eDAS 4.0®

You can access your environmental data on eDAS 4.0® through its HMI, a small touch screen, or a website. All of the data it collects is backed up and sent to the cloud. 

It accommodates vital two-way communication between the system and the user, which reduces the need for site visits. Users can customise their alarm levels, calibration values, and limit thresholds via the web portal. This allows for a more hands-on approach to environmental management. For example, alarms can be set to alert users to changes well before limits are breached, giving advanced warning of any issues.

This ability to remotely set values can reduce the need for travelling to the site, saving time and helping to reduce emissions. This can support businesses on their path to net zero and enhances their green credentials.

eDAS 4.0® offers clients improved operational intelligence. By making environmental data more visible it creates an opportunity for improved operator and supervisor communications. Knowing your performance strengths and opportunities for improvement is more important than ever with the rising scrutiny of environmental performance.

Gary Thursfield is Technical Director at EMS and responsible for the inception and evolution of eDAS 4.0®. At university Gary studied Software Engineering specialising in building control systems.  During his time at EMS he has worked on all aspects of our water and environmental services. His knowledge and experience in the sector have fed into the development of eDAS 4.0® and ensured that we offer a unique and bespoke system ideally tailored for use in the environmental monitoring of industrial processes.  Each eDAS 4.0® system can be uniquely tailored to our client’s specific needs and we offer installation, service and maintenance services.

For more information contact Terry Brighton terry.brighton@em-solutions.co.uk