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Helping contractors benefit from the energy efficiency issue
As more organisations switch onto the benefits of energy saving and face the pressure to comply with mounting legislation, increased emphasis is being placed on energy efficient products and solutions, presenting a great opportunity for contractors to capitalise on. David Lewis from Schneider Electric explains.
There is no doubt there is a growing trend for companies to look at ways to save money and reduce energy usage and contractors can definitely play a role in helping customers achieve their targets, while adding value in the specification process.
When it comes to achieving greater energy efficiency within an organisation, the way to manage and improve energy usage can be broken into four simple steps; measure, fix the basics, automate, and monitor and improve.
Before reducing costs, a business needs to know what it spends. By measuring energy usage through metering, energy audits and simple bill analysis, it is possible to monitor the consumption of installations, areas and different systems, such as heating and lighting, to identify where savings can be made.
In a bid to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions, Part L2 of the Building Regulations demands organisations to account for the usage of 90 per cent of each fuel type, meaning metering should be fitted. Today there is an array of measuring technologies available to help companies keep track of their energy consumption. These range from individual metering and monitoring devices, to products where metering is integrated into another technology commonly found in an electrical circuit such as a distribution board or circuit breaker. For example, Schneider Electric’s Isobar split metering board or the award winning Compact NSX Moulded case Circuit Breaker are just some of the options available for retrofit and refurbished or new build applications.
Utilising monitoring equipment and software will identify where energy is being consumed and some of the technologies available are now recognised by the Government led Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme. For example, Schneider Electric’s PowerView software can read
up to 32 meters and allows data to be read on the user’s computer. This enables businesses to offset the cost of energy efficient products and technologies against their tax bill, provided they use equipment which is included on the Energy Technology List.
The second step in an energy management strategy is to fix the basics. This begins with organisations encouraging simple behavioural changes like switching off lights or IT equipment when not required, which will make significant savings. In addition, contractors should highlight the importance of considering the power consumption of different technologies and installations such as circuit breakers, contactors and low loss transformers, which work efficiently and will help reduce energy costs. Power factor correction can also be applied to improve the stability and efficiency of the electrical network,providing significant cost savings with an excellent return on investment.
The third step,automation,avoids the business having to rely on uncertain human actions and ensures energy saving while providing increased comfort and safety. Today’s automated solutions include ranges such as Schneider Electric’s Control and Command, which features time clocks, light sensitive switches and presence detection equipment. These technologies will automate lighting, heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems.
The final step in the cycle is to monitor and improve. By continuously analysing usage, businesses can achieve cost savings through maintenance, supervision and monitoring, to help make further improvements. Software solutions such as a comprehensive building management system can monitor and analyse energy trends and consumption,which will help the company to strictly manage costs well into the future.
There are an extensive range of solutions and services available to help contractors add value to the service they offer customers and spread the message about how easy energy efficiency can be. By implementing energy management solutions, contractors can help businesses to save money, lower their carbon footprint and meet legislative commitments.
26CABLEtalk • June 2010
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