Energy managment

Hi,
Clipsal should start making power factor correction units for the wide market. The only products that are avaiable to buy are commerical units for big buildings.
These types of power factor correction systems only benifit the supply authority as they work upline. They only improve the quality of the supply and stop some problems that can occur from having a out of balance supply.
If small individual power correction units were placed at the loads, motors etc, then the benifit would be the customers. They will reduce cable losses and reduce the amount of power that the load requires therefor reducing the clients power account.

 

In the state I live in, you pay for kWh not kVAh and hence there is no point installing power factor correction equipment as you aren't paying for the reactive power anyway. I know supply authorities in some states are forcing large industries to pay for kVAh and subsequently the pay back period makes installing power factor correction equipment quite benefical. I acknowledge that you would have some I2R losses which you are paying for, but you would have to have a very poor power factor in order to justify the cost of putting in power factor correction units. (I am assuming you are referring to light industrial - medium size building installations.)

Regards, CC&C.

 

Hi Guys,

I think the reason this forum was created was to find new ways to use current C-Bus product in different capacities. Not to create new products which the market has little to no use for at the moment.

Energy management is about turning off systems (eg lighting, heating etc). If you dont turn it off, you can not provide financial or environmental benefits to the clients.

Cheers
Dutch

 

Hi Dutch,
Turning things off is probably the most effective method in saving power consumption. Everybody said Amen.

I think the discussion should focus more on how to use energy more efficiently, this then, in today?s market equates to when to use that energy.

With energy authorities getting a big time swing into supplying energy usage via their structure of ?shoulder? ?peak? and ?off peak? and their means of metering installations on that basis, then ?when you use that energy? becomes more apparent. It is user pays to the max. If you want consume energy during peak times, you will pay more than using that energy during shoulder or off peak times.

Building automation systems, and there ability to use energy during certain times is where the suppliers of energy want consumers and installers to focus.

It is on this basis that your quote

May not hold much value, now or in the future.

When you use energy has become as impotant as how.

cheers

 

Time of Use (ToU)

The big issue re "when" energy is used, has a lot to do about the capacity of the energy suppliers to supply power in peak periods. Upgrading infrastructure in this arena costs big $$$. So reward users for not using energy in peak periods.

On another note I am getting a tad worried about you. Lots of messages with a "cough". Are you coming down with a cold ?
;-)

 

Sorry Phil,
You must have me confused with someone else. My health in the whole, has mostly, never been better.

 

Switching off to save power?

If you dont turn it off, you can not provide financial or environmental benefits to the client.

I disagree, C-bus can be used to manage the time of use, yes but there are still ways of conserving energy without switching off devices.

If you are talking intergrating systems and energy management in high use applications such as manafacturing you can save the clients money in power and maintainence by installing some clever power factor correction devices at the equipment. You can reduce running temp, power use and the effort required for the motor to do its job because it is working more efficently.
By reducing temp in plant equipment inc lighting not only do you increase life span but you gain in A/C costs, more so if the A/C units are pf treated.
I have seen motors run over 60% more efficient due to the introduction of such devices.