POWER SYSTEMS
Figure 6. fortop’s gridXpert Healthcare Edition system provides real-time and historical measurement data ‘at a millisecond level’. It integrates data from meters, switches, generators, and UPS systems, into real-time alerts, visualisations, and reports.
Integrating power quality into power monitoring systems When integrating energy measurement systems for energy efficiency, it is essential to incorporate voltage and current quality into the monitoring concept.
n Three steps to lower consumption, reduced maintenance costs, and fewer failures
Power management is a continuous improvement process involving measurement, analysis, and optimisation, aiming to reduce energy consumption, lower maintenance costs, and minimise failure risks.
1. Continuous measurement with power analysers
To support continuous improvement, 24/7 measurement is essential to enable trend analysis, verification of energy savings, and real-time alerts for incidents. Fortop uses a standardised blueprint for an ‘installation- wide’ measurement system, assigning the most suitable measuring instrument at each level of the electrical installation, including Janitza measurement instruments with a resolution of 50 µs for precise voltage and current sampling (see Figures 4 and 5).
2. Continuous monitoring with gridXpert To consolidate all measurement data into a single system, and translate it into actionable insights, fortop UK has developed the gridXpert Healthcare Edition (see Figure 6). This system provides real-time and historical measurement data at a millisecond level. It integrates data from meters, switches, generators, and UPS systems into real-time alerts, visualisations, and reports. Its key features include: n Alarm Manager: Immediate alerts for overloading, voltage failures, and power quality deviations, via SMS, email, BMS, or a dedicated smartphone app.
n Power Tree Function: This maps real-time and historical phase loads for the entire electrical system, identifying energy waste and optimising capacity.
The NHS should use power monitoring instead of just a simple building management system (BMS), because power monitoring provides detailed insights and control over energy usage, which is crucial for healthcare facilities. Building management systems can provide only basic energy data, and cannot offer the advanced insights
70 Health Estate Journal June 2025
into grid health, usage, and quality, that drive power monitoring forward. A simple BMS controls building functions, but lacks deep energy analytics. Power monitoring adds precision, cost control, and reliability, making it a smarter choice for the NHS’s energy management strategy. This will lead to enhanced energy efficiency, cost savings, improved resilience and reliability, compliance and sustainability, and better, more informed, decision making and future planning. This is not to say that PMS and BMS are exclusive solutions. In fact, many facilities are already equipped with a BMS and choose to expand on its capabilities by integrating with a new PMS. Issues arise only when facilities attempt to rely on a BMS to avoid using an PMS.
3. Improving power quality Electronic devices distort current, generating harmonics that cause overheating of cables, transformers, and generators, leading to energy waste. Harmonic currents also pollute voltage, causing unstable operation, unexplained failures, and unnecessary energy losses. The FPH Modular Hybrid Filters provide a comprehensive solution for power quality issues. These filters contain both active and passive components, allowing them to mitigate various power quality problems, including harmonics, supra-harmonics, resonances, and unbalanced phases. Key benefits include: n Up to 30% more transformer capacity, and 50% more generator capacity, by filtering reactive power and harmonics.
n Up to 4% energy savings and CO2 reduction by
reducing cable and transformer heating, and improving overall energy efficiency.
n Lower maintenance costs and protected equipment warranties by minimising voltage pollution.
Voltage dip prevention with stabilisation systems Voltage stabilisation systems operate parallel to the load, mitigating short-term voltage dips without requiring full UPS systems. This prevents equipment failures and unwanted current peaks. The team of technical specialists at fortop UK can guide
NHS hospitals and healthcare facilities through all aspects of power management – from selecting the right meters, to commissioning and maintaining software and active compensation systems.
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