POWER, ENERGY & RENEWABLES
rings and metallic seal, Precision Products invested in a range of specialised machines and processes, and were looking for ways to reduce energy consumption, minimise running costs and reduce emissions. Having undertaken a comprehensive site survey, Powerstar’s engineers found that the site’s average incoming voltage was fluctuating between 242V and 250V, much higher than necessary, and with the potential for ongoing damage to specialist equipment, subjecting it to unnecessary wear and tear, while shortening its lifespan. To stabilise the voltage profile and to reduce wasted energy, the recommendation was the installation of Powerstar’s MAX system, an electronic-dynamic voltage optimisation solution. This new system has secured total consumption savings of seven per cent, while eliminating more than 85 tonnes of carbon equivalent from annual net emissions.
TRANSFORMER TECHNOLOGY In addition to the pressing issues of the Energy Trilemma, the current energy crisis and net zero targets, UK industry is also facing a looming crisis across its transformer fleet. As a critical part of the UK’s energy infrastructure, transformers enable electricity to be transferred from one circuit to another at changing voltage levels, improving the safety and efficiency of power systems. Given the energy-intensive profile of the manufacturing sector, transformer technology plays a pivotal role in energy management. However, the majority of the transformers in operation in the UK are more than 25 years old, far exceeding their intended design-life. The associated maintenance and refurbishment costs represent significant additional costs, while also risking transformers becoming a point of failure, threatening continued productivity. Transformers become less efficient as they age and can be operating at 85 per cent, as compared to modern transformer efficiency of 99.75 per cent.
Voltage optimisation installation
As transformers operate at high loads, these losses can be extremely costly. High-efficiency, low-loss transformers reduce costs while also cutting carbon emissions. While the initial cost of amorphous core transformers is slightly greater than that of traditional Cold Rolled Grain Oriented (CRGO) transformers, the conventional option will consume its purchase cost in wasted energy within nine months. Replacing outdated transformers can offer both
financial and reputational benefits, as demonstrated by a project for a major food manufacturer, who were looking for a resilient power solution that would form a critical element of their Supply Chain Sustainability Strategy, to reflect their proactive
approach to responsible sourcing, improved production process efficiency, and waste minimisation. By replacing their old fleet with new amorphous core distribution transformers, with integrated voltage optimisation technology, energy consumption on-site was reduced by more than ten per cent, with carbon emissions reduced by 365 tonnes per annum, saving over £70,000 on yearly energy bills. For a second client, whose business is based on high-volume production, transformer replacement has led to a 12.3 per cent reduction in energy consumption, with emissions lowered by 206 tonnes, and annual energy cost reductions of around £40,000. Powerstar has developed a new Energy Saving Calculator to help companies explore their options and ascertain the savings available - offering instant information to help reduce energy bills. In the current energy crisis, the three arms of the Energy Trilemma are in sharp focus, while the only thing that looks clear for manufacturing is that rising costs look certain for the foreseeable future. An energy management strategy incorporating the latest storage, voltage optimisation and transformer technology demonstrates significant benefits for manufacturers looking to mitigate against the worst aspects of the current economic and geopolitical context. Continual investment in R&D for energy management is helping companies negotiate the Energy Trilemma - and now, more than ever, there is an urgent requirement to improve energy efficiency as budgetary and climate issues align. Download Powerstar’s Manufacturing White
Super low loss amorphous core transformer
Paper: Building Resilience for Industry 4.0 here:
www.powerstar.com/manufacturing-white-paper- building-resilience-for-industry-4-0/
Powerstar
www.powerstar.com
info@powerstar.com 0333 230 1327
22 Autumn 2022 UKManufacturing
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