FEATURE ENERGY MANAGEMENT
A SMARTER FUTURE FOR INDUSTRIAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT
The advent of Industry 4.0 means advancements in industrial machinery and equipment continue, providing an ideal platform for smart manufacturing processes. However, as Dr Alex Mardapittas, CEO of Powerstar, explains, with more electrical equipment to manage, businesses are becoming increasingly energy-intensive and with electricity prices continuing to rise, implementing smart energy solutions to minimise consumption, costs and improve energy resilience is more important than ever
E
nergy remains a hot topic and key focus across the industrial sectors which are
amongst the highest energy expending industries in the UK, consuming 27 per cent more energy than the services sector and producing 17 per cent more emissions. While Industry 4.0, and the digitisation of the
manufacturing sector in particular, presents obvious opportunities for industry in terms of heightening production and greater control of processes, the introduction of a host of advanced machinery and plant equipment has led to heightened pressure for energy reductions and a more robust infrastructure to ensure greater energy resilience, particularly as organisations aim to minimise disruption to operations at a time when the security of supply is under pressure.
INDUSTRY 4.0: AN OPPORTUNITY The good news for those responsible for the energy management of their organisation is, although Industry 4.0 will inevitably present a number of challenges, especially when it comes to managing the consumption of increasingly complex and energy-intensive technology and automated processes, it also has the opportunity to transform a sector long
associated with high energy outputs, CO2 emissions and costs. Under Industry 4.0, many key assets have
modernised to become connected and online to deliver insights into how effectively they are performing. When paired with proven smart energy solutions such as voltage optimisation, energy storage, and smart distribution transformers, the potential for energy savings, enhanced security of supply, and lowered carbon emissions are amplified. Whilst each solution offers its own distinctive
benefits, it is by seamlessly integrating multiple smart energy technologies to create a comprehensive energy strategy for large- scale manufacturing, engineering, and processing companies where the value can be maximised and optimised.
26 AUTUMN 2019 | INDUSTRIAL COMPLIANCE
SMART ENERGY SOLUTIONS Leading-edge energy storage technologies can offer a multitude of benefits from increased flexibility of energy use to energy resilience through full Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) capabilities which can safeguard all operations, across multiple departments, by ensuring all critical equipment stays connected in the event of an energy-related failure, in some cases doing so within milliseconds. By utilising locally stored energy and taking the site off-grid in the event of a loss of power, any down-time is significantly reduced, alleviating the potentially high costs associated with energy-related failures, which has been reported by Centrica to cost as much as 17 per cent of revenues. The capabilities of leading energy storage
technologies, like Powerstar VIRTUE, eliminate operational risk and strengthen energy security through the full, site-wide, and in some cases seamless, UPS capabilities. In the event of a supply issue, the site-wide UPS capabilities enable the system to automatically and quickly support the load across the entire site, rather than specific systems such as IT, until connection to the grid can be re-established. Similarly, more traditional energy saving
technologies such as voltage optimisation (VO), provide a robust platform through which to optimise, regulate and condition any higher than necessary incoming power supply from the National Grid to reduce the voltage supplied to the optimum level for the on-site electrical equipment and appliances. The benefits of which are enhanced when integrated as part of a comprehensive smart energy strategy. If not managed effectively, higher than
necessary voltage can lead to costly financial ramifications incurred through unnecessarily high electricity bills as well as increased replacement expenses as the lifespan of electrical equipment decreases due to excessive strain. Whilst implementing new smart energy
technologies can provide countless benefits for the sector, often evaluating the efficiency of existing plant equipment, such as the site’s
distribution transformer, can often be the best place to start when seeking to reduce electricity costs for sites that own and operate their high voltage infrastructure. Typically, distribution transformers go overlooked and remain offline, despite playing such an integral role in the supply of energy to a site. The arrival of smart distribution
transformers enables information for manufacturing environments and asset performance to be accessed, displaying useful grid information, conditional performance, and energy efficiency reports through integrated online remote monitoring functionality. Additionally, detailed information and reports can be accessed such as voltage, amps, phase to phase metrics, real power, power factor, and even GPS location for larger premises with multiple transformers. These remote monitoring capabilities can be programmed across a range of smart energy technologies to provide a bespoke, complete smart energy solution driven by data and insight.
THE REMOTE ADVANTAGE Enhanced online remote monitoring capabilities means key asset performance data can be easily and quickly accessed and analysed from anywhere with a secure internet connection and automated email alerts can be set up to notify users when significant changes occur outside of pre-set thresholds, enabling prompt action to be taken. A virtual connection between a variety of on-
site technologies, such as solar (PV), wind turbines and even combined heat and power plants can also be established, presenting managers with a comprehensive picture of a site’s electricity usage on a single remote platform. By facilitating greater synergy between numerous smart energy solutions on site, managers can easily identify further potential optimisations which can be made, resulting in lower energy costs and reduced carbon emissions as part of a long-term sustainability plan.
Powerstar
www.powerstar.com / INDUSTRIALCOMPLIANCE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32
