We are currently in an era of unprecedented consumption of fossil fuels and other global resources. These natural resources are both finite and unreplenishable while at the same time the burning of fossil fuels is also causing harm to our natural environment. These combined phenomena are creating an escalation in prices for the energy that sustains the lifestyles that we enjoy today.
In the business world there are also two realities that are becoming more prevalent based on our rapid consumption of energy - cost escalation and carbon footprint. Businesses are continually pressured by their customers to maintain or even reduce prices on their products. While at the same time, customers are now demanding that businesses also reduce their carbon footprint for sustainability purposes to ensure the longevity of our planet. How can a business win on both of these issues that customers demand? Easy - energy conservation.
Energy conservation is the most transparent and direct method of achieving both goals of cost management and reduced carbon footprint. Businesses that are able to produce the same quantity and quality of product using less energy can deliver both of these goals. While other alternatives can achieve one or the other of the goals or may have more popular media appeal, few have the ability to reach both like energy conservation. Using less energy simply saves money on a company's bottom line while requiring less electricity generation - that is still mainly derived from burning fossil fuels because green energy generation is still quite expensive and not all regions have the ability to create hydro-electric power.
One of the largest wasters of energy is in the over voltage of power delivered to large facilities (e.g. 610V instead of 575V). Because of the line loss of power during long transmission of power from the utility substation, power is delivered at a higher than necessary voltage level to ensure the last building on the grid receives power above the minimal voltage level. That means that different customers will receive different levels of voltage of power where some are receiving at an extremely high level.
Higher voltage does not cause immediate or apparent problems to a facility because almost all machinery is designed to operate at a range of voltages (e.g. 570V to 630V). However, those machines can operate at full functionality at the lowest voltage rating without any compromise. When the incoming voltage is higher than that minimum level it actually degrades the machine by creating energy loss in the form of heat. This over voltage and higher operating temperature will shorten the expected life of the machine while at the same time consume more energy adding to your monthly kWh bill. This double negative situation is easily avoided once recognized by reducing your incoming voltage to optimal or minimum levels.
The optimal solution for this problem is automated voltage reduction. Using a step-down transformer at the point of entry into your facility, the incoming voltage can be reduced to optimal levels and delivered to all machinery inside. As explained earlier, this will reduce your energy bill as your equipment runs more efficiently while also extending the life or your equipment by operating at cooler temperatures. Depending on the voltage level of your facility and annual kWh consumed, using automated voltage reduction could save you 15% on energy bills alone.
The next level of savings is to not only use a transformer to reduce your incoming voltage, but to also have some intelligence to ensure optimal levels of voltage. Incoming power will fluctuate almost +/- 6% because of peak demands and other energy users on your grid. Because of this fluctuation, a transformer may not be optimizing the voltage because they are usually hard-set on the % reduction regardless of the situation. Therefore, when the incoming voltage is higher than usual, you will not be reducing voltage to the absolute minimal level. On the other side, if the incoming voltage is lower than usual, you are risking under delivering voltage which can cause machine stoppage and interruption to your plant operations. Installing some intelligence will help monitor the fluctuating incoming voltage and step-down to the appropriate level to ensure maximum energy savings as well as not risking machine stoppage in your facility.
Automated voltage reduction could be a part of the energy conservation movement that helps your business save money on lower energy bills and longer lasting equipment. Additional savings are also found in less maintenance on machinery, lower frequency of replacing machinery as well as less downtime and hassle in your operations. The total savings could exceed the 15% to the bottom line in your business as well as simplifying maintenance. Combined with the lower carbon footprint on the environment which could also enhance your image to customers, the necessity to investigate and consider automated voltage reduction is clear. To learn more contact Innovative Solutions.
