Advertisement Feature Cover Story Go green and grow
As pressures to reduce energy consumption increase, advances in smart devices are paving the way for businesses to gain greater insight into the energy use of their power distribution systems and help them make more informed commercial decisions. Tom France from Schneider Electric explains
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combination of the govern- ment’s ambitious carbon reduc- tion commitments, scarcity of resources and rising fuel prices, mean that the efficient man- agement of energy for businesses is becoming ever critical.
Although often misconstrued, the good news is that green and growth go hand in hand and optimised energy efficiency has a direct impact on a business’ bottom line. In fact, a recent report by The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) claims that cutting down on energy waste could save businesses up to £56,400 per year on their energy bills and could benefit the UK as a whole by £1.9bn.
Aside from the initial financial acumen however, further research has also shown that businesses which reduce their carbon emissions can mitigate against future costs in the form of regulatory instruments such as pollution taxes and higher insurance premiums.
Therefore, the time has come for businesses to take up the mantle and ensure optimum energy visibility in order to manage and monitor their energy effectively and in turn, make substantial energy and cost savings.
Above: Tom France, Schneider Electric
Smarter technology
Above right and below: the new Acti9 Smartlink from Schneider Electric is a communication system which is specifically
designed to help building operators gauge total,
unparalleled insight into their energy use
Advanced smart technology has a major role to play in this. The new Acti9 Smartlink from Schneider Electric, for example, is a communi- cation system which complements the Acti9 final distribution board and is specifically designed to help build- ing operators gauge total, unparal- leled insight into their energy use. The system can collect metering, environmental and status data from devices such as utility meters, tem- perature monitors and circuit protec- tion devices throughout the premises in one simple, smart device. The supervisory system can then generate any reports required and transmit the data to remote locations for analysis. With real time data coming from panels and circuits, in terms of indi- vidual loads through to large areas, users can fine tune their electrical loads to reduce consumption, allo- cate costs and effectively manage their energy. They can also use the data to perform comparative calcula- tions and show trends to identify fur- ther areas of potential savings. Working in this way, building opera- tors can expect to reduce their energy use by as much as 30% whilst main- taining optimum performance.
Businesses can also benefit from numerous environmental and com- mercial benefits. The unique data col- lection and analysis can not only aid commercial decision making and help to reduce energy cost, but also pro- mote carbon reductions and legislative compliance, reduce tax burdens and provide information for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Furthermore, this device ensures continuity of power supply and availability. Should an issue occur, operators are sent an immediate pre- cise warning so that the error can be rectified straightway before it pro- gresses into a substantial problem. This preventative approach assures minimal costly down-time and main- tenance costs.
Summary
Going beyond traditional communica- tion systems, Smartlink also makes monitoring and control incredibly flexible and fast to implement. It com- prises one-click, pre-fabricated wiring for fast, easy, comprehensive commu- nication between the distribution panel and any facility management system. This means that there is no need for complex communication wiring or in/out terminal blocks which can crowd the switchboard. Users can ensure attractive, error-free panels, benefiting from 40% reduced wiring. Safety is also a factor - apart from ensuring utmost reliability, Smartlink is manufacturer guaranteed, it is EMC tested for immunity, radiated and con- ducted fields, electrostatic discharges and fast transient currents - thus sur- passing all safety requirements.
Schneider Electric
www.schneider-electric.com/uk T: 0870 608 8 608
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Enter 200 SEPTEMBER 2013 Electrical Engineering
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