Going green can have two meanings one from an environmental point of view and the other is green dollars or money. Money is more digital now, but getting the green still has its meaning. The use of automation and power monitoring can be instrumental in gaining both versions of green. The motivations for the monetary green, is routed in the mathematics of accounting and normal self preservation. The other "Going Green" is more socialistically oriented and motivated as part of the mass preservation goal.
Regardless of the motivations or style of going green, both can be achieved with the blended use of power (energy) monitoring and sufficient use of that power. Using power monitoring sensing devices and logical operate devices in harmony with human endeavors is the starting point of the beneficial quest we seek to follow. The sensing components can start with voltage, amperage and power factor. The logical operate devices can be Pcs, Pacs or Plcs as well as any other chip driven controllers or direct relay devices.
Power quality is as foremost in monitoring as is power usage in quantity and when it is used. By eliminating the damage done by bad electrical power components, we eliminate the precious fix and replacement of electrical such as costly motors and electronic such as computers, their Ups systems and theory connected devices. We also will heighten our security integrity with protecting fire, disaster and security systems and equipment.
As a link to the motivational component and the sought end supervene we have to create a logical advent to developing our overall system. First we need to see where we are using the power and the profitable way of using it. Eliminating the waste should be a concern as well as the damage from unwanted poor power quality. In some ways expelling one gets rid of the other.
We will start by eliminating wasted power from non-productive consumption such as having lights on and heating/cooling when no one is there or it just does not produce any benefit at that point in time. This is where construction automation comes in. With the introduction of occupancy and vacancy sensing, many wasted watts have been eliminated including the use of sleep and self-operating shut down modes for computers and their peripheral devices. Hotels have saved countless dollars in maintaining environmental factors in unused or unoccupied rooms. Many businesses have benefited with lowered cost of lighting, heating and air conditioning in the office areas. Other area of wasted power has been in the educational arena of class rooms and empty lobbies which has been reduced with sensing the lack of need and direct shut down of the components by occasion the circuit that controlled them. This is a easy and relatively reasonable on-off circuit controlling device. These have already been introduced into homes and are legally required in some states.
A more sophisticated theory will comprise ambient light sensing from outdoors straight through windows and skylights and growth or decrease the power driven lighting as needed though dimming operate or turning unblemished pre-planned banks of lights off or on. Other method is to have self-operating shades block the sunlight in that it increases the ambient heat which in turn runs the air conditioning longer. This is where a trade off appears by eliminating the unwanted sun ray generated heat we eliminate the wanted solar generated ambient light. That is where logical operate with the use of algorithms comes in. Where is the optimum set of conditions?
We can make a more complex theory if elevators are being used. Once the door opens we shed the air conditioning load temporarily while the elevator is in use. This lowers demand levels which we will discuss later. This may comprise shutting down elevators when in empty mode when a fire alarm theory is introduced to the overall construction automation scheme including activation of alarms and evacuation messaging systems.
The first thing we need to do is know where the power is being used and the quality of that power. This is where power monitoring devices come in. To begin lets analyze how they function. The needed data can be derived with Cts or current transformer sometimes referred to as a current transducer. Which as current goes straight through them it picks up the amperage and voltage being used at that definite time and with the secondary coil it sends the reduced current to a device that picks up the current and measures it. A logic device will give it a value and then some logical doing can be done. This is a simplified or normal report of the doing or current transformers. There are many other factors involved.
In a power monitor, measurements are made on different lines such as in a 3 phase system. Current and voltage is measured and assess to each other and then against the neutral. Each line is called a phase and in an Ac theory has a wave signature. The 3 phases are compared to each other to see if they are in equal distance from each other. When an imbalance occurs you will get fluctuations in power factor which will supervene in lost results from the loss of sufficient power. A more lengthily conference on power factor and phase imbalance would be needed and would lead us beyond the scope of this article.
Data loggers then can be incorporated with or in the power monitor to give pathology software date to make comparisons as well as supply history of the power usage and its quality. Monitoring the quality of the power and reacting to the poor conditions with reactors and capacitors can help preclude the damage of costly motors and equipment.
Monitoring the usage will help us scrutinize where inevitable demands can be eliminated. The best way to do this is with power monitoring and a good Scada system. A good Scada theory can also comprise process, security and security monitoring and may be complex with a Dcs system, which gives operate with the use on logical devices to effectively optimize all the elements including power usage.
Now that we have normal idea how and why you would want a good monitoring and operate system, we can now look as to where we can best apply them. Office buildings, educational facilities, hospitals, hotels, museums and sell areas such as malls have two common areas of major usage. These are lighting and climate operate such as heating and air conditioning. Other areas comprise office equipment and computers. The first strike on the power cost is shutting things down when not in use. This is where occupancy and vacancy sensors which sense when no one is in the area or room. This data can be sent to a operate unit that shuts down lighting and environmental systems. This shut down could be partial or unblemished which will be determined as required. Dimming controls could be used for partial if for example ambient light from sky lights and windows is measured and the lighting theory compensates for the needed lighting needed in an area.
Hotels lower or shut off unblemished rooms for air and heating and then turn them on when the room is booked. A Plc or Pac could be used to use timing functions for different time of day or days of the week when a single area is used. Examples comprise offices at night or unblemished areas on weekends when closed. Other areas may comprise shutting down hot water heaters under the same criteria.
A major component in electrical cost is not the estimate used but the time of day it is used. This leads to peak demand which has a higher than mean use period and an off-peak which is when demand is the least. These are normally used because there are limits a power generating theory can supply in electricity. Some limits are imposed by government regulation on the estimate utilities can produce for the sake of the environment.
By timing as much usage while off peak as potential could originate many cost salvage opportunities. Examples of this may be running systems, such as air and heat, when potential at times earlier than when the high peak demand is happening. Other peak demand area is thinkable, motor and heating loads so that they do not open at the same time and originate a cumulative supervene such as by air handling units, elevators, and large lighting loads. The use of Vfds (variable frequency drives) or soft starters also helps in lowering start up peaks contributing to the savings.
Power monitors also help us see the quality of the power we are using. This normally pertains to the voltage. We need to watch for phase imbalances and variations in the frequencies on the private phases. If voltages go higher than say 10% of what it should be, damages to equipment may happen. Also a phase form distortion caused by harmonics also may cause damage to many electrical and electronic components. There are other voltage characteristics that can supervene in precious repairs as when a theory starts up or shuts down suddenly. By right estimation and monitoring we can plan for power conditioning equipment and eliminate the damage from these variations.
In industrial environments power monitoring becomes more needed than in industrial environments do to the higher usage and the fact the components using the power are much more expensive. Motors even with Vfds have high consumption and use of energy. Being right in startups is especially foremost do to the demand peaks that can be exhibited. The time of day the activities occur is also foremost such as power usage for steel plants and heavy fabrication. Reacting fast to unstable and abnormal events become highly important.
Another area is in hospitalization facilities. The loss of power needs to handled fast for the security and prolonged response needed for those under it care and those providing the care. These areas many times have costly Ups and backup generator systems that after a sense of power loss is monitored, start up or switched to.
Banks and many market need to detect the differences also because of computer and alarm components that need to continue running until adequate shut down modes can be implemented. As to urgency lighting and alarm systems, this is foremost to just about every type of facility.
Another great tool on our war against unwanted current and voltage conditions is to monitor the usage and power quality on a constant basis and keep data on when they occur. This is where Scada software and systems become useful. With permissible data acquisition and sensing we can create a historical logging for providing data for analysis. Reoccurrences can be checked so the causes may be checked into and eliminated. Seeing the culprit conditions can sometimes be difficult, but with a permissible Scada software and with data from utility companies, they can be found and in many cases routed out.
The emergence of alternative power now offered today as well as urgency backup systems has created added dimensions in the need for power monitoring. If the lower cost alternative is not providing what is needed we need to be able to sense it and kick back into the suitable power grid. If both the alternative and suitable are not available we need to sense it fast and with an Ats (Automatic replacement Switch) go to the urgency power theory which is normally a backup generator. After the other systems come back on line we then need to be able to know that it has happened and switch back to the normal power systems which are more cost effective.
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