Meeting the
challenges
of modern installations
With so much emphasis on improving energy efficiency, it’s important to look at all aspects of an electrical installation. Savings can be found in some surprising places, such as using busbar trunking, says Lee Jones of Schneider Electric
O
rganisations are under increasing pressure to lower their carbon emissions and reduce their energy consumption. As a result, solutions capable of improving the electrical distribution
system to ensure there is less energy loss, lower resistance and improved reliability, should be part of any planning and specification process. With contractors facing more pressure to ensure tight deadlines and budgets are met, while also meeting the need to fit more cabling into less space, solutions like busbar trunking provide an ideal option.
The benefits
Busbar trunking is a fully factory-built electrical distribution system designed as an alternative to conventional methods of electrical distribution that use cable and cable mounting systems. Consisting of an outer metallic casing that contains copper or aluminium current carrying busbars, it is supplied in fixed lengths that can be quickly and easily joined together, using joint kits supplied by the manufacturer. As a product designed for distribution, busbar trunking
has a number of advantages over cable. It can play a part in improving energy efficiency by reducing the power losses in an electrical installation while lowering emissions. It is estimated that 75 per cent of distribution loss within an electrical circuit is from conductors, so if the number of cables is reduced, less energy is lost. Cables also have more raw materials content, which
dissipates more heat. For example, a 25-metre length of cabling for an 800A installation with 12 loads would lose around 10.4kW a day. In the same scenario using busbar trunking, the loss would be approximately 8.5kW, helping a business to save energy. In addition to heat loss – which equates to energy loss –
when cables are grouped together, on a tray to comply with the Wiring Regulations, the cables have to be de-rated to allow for the heating effects, as heat is transferred between the cables. Also, it is more difficult for heat to dissipate from cables due to the insulation around them. So larger cables must be used to gain the current rating and compensate for the effect. Larger cables equals more money, whereas busbar trunking allows better heat dissipation.
60
ECA Today Summer 2010
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