In a previous installment we considered the advantages of installing an energy monitoring and power management system to help control the upward spiral of energy costs to a facility. This installment will consider the equipment angle, the installation of the system and the investment in a comprehensive system.

Energy Monitoring & Power Management System Equipment

o Parts of the system are:
– Discreet metering devices to record data
– Software to accumulate, manage and display the data and as a analytic platform.
– Communications system that tie the monitoring devices to the computerized collect point.
o Low end equipment – monitors basic measurements like voltage, current, real and reactive power, power factor and energy usage. This info is usually collected at 15-minute intervals creating a monitored timeline of usage. These may not be as accurate as this level of equipment tends to economize on the quality of components.
o High end equipment – complex and feature rich. Disturbance detection and location, automated alarm configuration, harmonic distortion analysis, flicker detection and location, high-speed transient detection and anti-aliasing. A note: many of the ills experienced by a facility attributed to power company line quality have been found to be the result of internal power delivery system breakdowns demand outgrowing the facilities energy delivery system or sub-par installation under less informed building practices and codes.
o Data storage – Computers provide the data storage capabilities and tools to display and analyze the data and in turn providing the information needed for planning and prioritization of remedies. Servers store the data, and the computer is an integral part of the controlling of monitory system and management.
o Communications – primarily systems are connected via copper wire lines, but wireless systems provide convenience as well as labor and material savings over hard wiring the facility. All equipment must be compatible and operate on the same communications protocols. Using open source protocols means that devices from various manufacturers can communicate with each other.
• Installation – one philosophy dictates that you install high-end metering devices at the main electrical switchgear and less sophisticated metering devices down the line. This allows to ascertain utility line quality as well as your facilities power distribution system’s health. You will able to identify overloaded equipment, energy hogging older equipment and other energy savings opportunities. The more extensive the monitoring the better the system modeling.
• Investing – investment should be carefully researched and planned. A well-planned implementation will pay dividends down. The quality and how extensive your implementation the more utility you derive from it. Remember GIGO-garbage in garbage out, planning is a primary expedient in implementing an energy monitoring and power management system.

Electrical Power Monitoring, Logging and Chart Recording & More in Arvada, Aurora, Black Hawk, Boulder, Broomfield, Centennial, Cherry Hills, Commerce City, Englewood, Golden, Greenwood Village, Highlands Ranch, Lakewood, Lafayette, Littleton, Parker, Thornton, Westminster, Wheat Ridge & Greater Denver, CO | Jefferson & Gilpin County, Colorado

For office buildings and industrial facilities, energy monitoring and power management is a must. But services and entertainment venues can benefit as well. Although the imperative for power management is not as stringent for the residential energy consumer, power is still expensive. For the home controlling ‘vampire’ power consumption is the biggest avenue for savings. Many of your instant on remote controlled electronics still consume up to a third of the power off as compared to the on setting. The remote-control circuit never turns off, switched outlets and other considerations can help save a lot of energy in the home that is used for nothing but powering convenience.
Call Advanced Electric Solutions, Corp today to discuss how we can help manage the energy usage on your premises.