BESS · mobile battery storage · hire fleets
BESS monitoring for mobile and hire battery storage
Mobile battery energy storage systems (BESS) are replacing diesel generators on construction sites, events and EV charging — but a containerised battery on a remote site is only useful if someone knows its state of charge, whether it is charging and whether it has tripped. TrackSyte® gives hire fleets and operators an independent, fleet-wide view of every unit in one portal.
Neo 2 reads the unit's battery management or energy management system over Modbus (RS485 or Ethernet) or CAN bus where it is exposed, adds GNSS location, and sends the data over LTE, LTE-M or NB-IoT cellular.
Why mobile BESS needs independent remote monitoring
Every BESS has a battery management system (BMS) that protects the cells, and most have an energy management system (EMS) that decides when to charge and discharge. Those systems run the battery. They are not designed to give a hire desk or operations team one view of thirty units spread across thirty sites, often from more than one manufacturer.
Without that view, the questions that cause site visits stay unanswered: is the unit charged enough for tomorrow's load, has the generator or grid charging stopped, has the unit shut down on a fault, and is it still where it was delivered? TrackSyte answers those from the office.
What you can see for each battery storage unit
What is available depends on what the BMS or EMS publishes. Typical readings include:
| Reading | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| State of charge (%) | Plan recharging or a swap before the site runs out of power |
| Battery voltage, current and power | See whether the unit is charging or discharging, and how hard it is working |
| Charging source status | Know when grid, solar or generator charging has stopped |
| Alarms and protection events | Separate a real fault from a unit that needs a reset |
| Temperature, where published | Spot units running hot in summer or too cold to charge |
| Location and movement | Confirm the unit is on the right site and see out-of-hours movement |
| Gateway and connection health | Know a unit is reporting before relying on its data |
How Neo 2 connects to a BESS
Most BESS units expose their data over Modbus, either on RS485 or over Ethernet as Modbus TCP, and some use CAN bus. Neo 2 has RS485, Ethernet and CAN bus on one device, runs from a 9–30 V DC supply and has GNSS fitted as standard, so one gateway can read the battery system and report the unit's location.
For smaller systems built on Victron equipment, a Victron Smart Shunt or smart lithium batteries with a BMS, Neo 2 reads those directly. Before installation we confirm with the manufacturer which registers or messages are available, so you know exactly what you will see.
Mixed fleets: BESS, generators and hybrids in one view
Few fleets are battery-only. Most hire companies run BESS units alongside diesel generators, hybrid power units and solar trailers, and often pair a battery with a generator on the same site. TrackSyte shows them all in the same portal, with the same alert rules, so the hire desk sees whether a site's power is healthy without opening several manufacturer apps.
Alerts and data for hire desks and operators
Set alert rules for low state of charge, charging stopped, unit offline or alarm raised, with critical, warning and information levels, sent by email, webhook or Slack. Data can be streamed to your own systems over MQTT or read through the API, for example to bill energy delivered or report diesel displaced.
Who uses BESS remote monitoring
Remote BESS monitoring suits anyone with battery storage they cannot see from the office:
- Power hire companies with mobile battery fleets
- Manufacturers of containerised and trailer-mounted BESS
- Contractors replacing site generators with batteries
- Event and temporary EV charging operators
- Operators of small off-grid and hybrid battery systems
Related capabilities and hardware
FAQs
What is BESS monitoring?
BESS monitoring means collecting state of charge, power, alarms and other data from a battery energy storage system so it can be checked remotely. TrackSyte adds an independent, fleet-wide view across units and sites.
Does TrackSyte replace the BESS's own BMS or EMS?
No. The BMS and EMS keep running the battery. TrackSyte reads the data they publish and puts every unit, from any manufacturer, into one portal with alerts.
How does Neo 2 read data from a battery storage unit?
Usually over Modbus, on RS485 or as Modbus TCP over Ethernet, or over CAN bus. We confirm with the manufacturer which registers or messages are available before installation.
Can I monitor BESS units and generators together?
Yes. BESS units, diesel generators, hybrid power units and solar trailers all appear in the same TrackSyte Portal with the same alert rules.
Can I track where my battery units are?
Yes. Neo 2 has a full-constellation GNSS receiver fitted as standard, so every unit's location sits alongside its battery data.
See BESS monitoring for your fleet
Tell us which battery storage units you run and we will show you what Neo 2 can read from them and how they would look in the TrackSyte Portal.