As the world's population continues to grow and more factories are built, it becomes more and more important to provide sufficient power in an environmentally sustainable way. The solar power solution has received much publicity and backing from environmental enthusiasts, and is beginning to enter the mainstream.

In solar power systems, rooftop solar panels are used to absorb the Sun's energy and convert it into electrical energy. The electrical energy is sent to a control box using RS-485 serial wires and is monitored by a power meter. Energy providers are looking for an Internet solution for more efficient and flexible management and monitoring of their renewable energy systems. For this type of application, a programmable serial-to-Ethernet communication gateway is needed to convert RS-485 serial data into a format suitable for transmission over the Ethernet.

Moxa's UC-7110 offers an economical and resourceful solution for routing serial data to an existing Ethernet network. Solution providers can embed their own monitoring and protocol conversion software into the UC-7110 to monitor power generation and consumption data. As a front-end controller, the UC-7110 is conveniently sized and includes customized programming options to convert power meter data into Ethernet packet format. The UC-7110 can be used in place of a PC, significantly reducing costs for solution providers, and its small size gives system managers added installation flexibility.