How will improving power quality save energy consumption, reduce energy wastage and cut energy costs?
Making improvements to your power quality could be the solution you had no idea you needed. In some cases the situation could become so severe that the first time the problem is discovered is when you receive a non-conformity notification from your Network Service Provider. So, what causes issues with power quality, how can problems be detected and most importantly, how can they be rectified?
Depending on the specific situation, there are two considerations. One or both may be applicable.
How can Active Harmonic Filters help?
Compromises in power quality are often caused by the variety of electrical devices within an organisation’s infrastructure. LED lighting, variable speed drives, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC), lift and escalator systems and other non-linear loads result in the propagation of various harmonics and deviations occur due to the different harmonics present in the electrical system. We call such waveforms distorted, complex waveforms or dirty power. In other words, this is used to describe electricity that is of low quality with reference to a very high harmonic content.
Most electrical devices (such as motors) need clean electricity to function properly, and continuing to operate with dirty energy can cause additional wear on equipment.
Active Harmonic Filters are installed to reduce harmonics and clean the current wave by cancelling out the undesired harmonic components. To help understand how Active Harmonic Filters work in more intricate detail, please read our article on this topic.
How can Static Var Generators help?
The second consideration is power quality issues caused by the various and different voltages required by equipment requiring reactive electrical current that include motors, generators and transformers. Static Var Generators can instantaneously control the voltage and power factor, stabilise voltage levels, and mitigate voltage flicker caused by fluctuating loads or faults.
Understanding how Static Var Generators work is complex to explain and may be a big factor behind why some organisations don’t realise they need this solution. Enginuity Power Solutions can provide help. As part of a consultation we can help design the right energy saving, power quality improving solutions. If however you’d love to read and understand more about Static Var Generators, then please read our more in-depth technical description, available here.
Orion Australia. A case study.
Sometimes, a single piece of equipment may be all that is required. In other situations a combination of solutions may be required but the results can be quite significant making it possible to recoup the additional investment made within just a few years or sometimes sooner. One recent example comes from when we provided an energy audit for our customer, Orion Australia in Deloraine, Tasmania. We were called in to help rectify a few power issues they were experiencing. Through analysis, we recommended both an Active Harmonic Filter and a Static Var Generator. This has helped improve the voltage stability and reliability, and also reduce the power demand significantly. Modelling has shown that we are in line to help save their business $15,000 to $20,000 a year and 20,000 kilograms of carbon every single year. Based on these numbers, Orion Australia should recover this investment within 24 months (conservative estimate). To learn more, watch the video case study below.
How can we help you?
Perhaps you’re looking to reduce costs and improve energy efficiency but you don’t know where to start. How will installing Active Harmonic Filters and Static Var Generators help?
There are several questions that may bring you to these solutions. Here are six questions that many of our customers have asked.
- How can we save money off our electrical power bill?
- How do we reduce our environmental footprint?
- Why is our equipment failing?
- Why are our systems not functioning as they should all of the time?
- Our electrical infrastructure demands are going to increase, how can we reduce existing wastage as we expand?
- We need to meet our environmental, social and corporate governance goals (e.g. ESG targets). What options are immediately available that are measurable and make economic sense?
The good news is, these solutions are not all about additional capital expenditure, as these investments will in the long run help reduce energy consumption, wear and tear on equipment and therefore costs overall. Before investing in any new infrastructure we can model the financial performance of the changes we recommend. Time and time again, after installation, we have demonstrated for our customers the accuracy of the proposed savings.
The benefits economically and environmentally extend beyond individual organisations. The Network Service Providers, i.e. the organisations who own the poles and wires, are hoping industry makes improvements like adding Active Harmonic Filters and Static Var Generators as it eases the stress and constraint on their equipment and frees up capacity in distribution/transmission networks.
We’d love to hear from you and start a conversation about how we can help you improve power quality, save energy consumption, reduce energy wastage and cut energy costs? Please contact us today.
