Simple ways to improve energy efficiency for your business
Arriving at the end of 2019, it’s not too late to improve the power factor of your business. With so many ways to improve energy efficiency, there is no excuse for not implementing a plan of action.
As a manager looking after the operations within the company, you can improve the energy efficiency with:
- Power Factor Correction Equipment
- Power Factor Correction Capacitors
- Harmonic Filtration systems
Each element can be installed individually, giving your company some benefits. The best is when all components are working together, optimizing your energy consumption.
Power Factor Correction
Power factor is a measurement of how effectively your business uses electricity. Power factor is a ratio of the power used (Working Power (kW)) divided by the power supplied (Total Power (kVA)). This difference between these two types of power is known as Reactive Power (kVAr).
Equipment such as motors, transformers, ballasts, welding sets, and induction furnaces all contribute to having a poor power factor as they consume reactive power even when they are powered on but not being used.
Installing Power factor correction equipment supplies the reactive power for the motors in your plant, instead of receiving it from the utility, regardless of whether they are idling or fully loaded.
Normally your utility provides both the working power and the reactive power. When Power Factor correction equipment is installed in your facility, it supplies the reactive power instead of being supplied by the utility, and in so doing, reducing the total power delivered to your facility. Optimizing the power factor within your company reduces your electrical costs by up to 20%.
Power Factor Correction Capacitors
Power Factor Correction capacitors improve the overall power factor within your facility. The capacitors act as reactive power generators and can provide up to 100% of the reactive power needed by the electrical equipment in your factory
Installing power factor correction capacitors and increasing the power factor of your electrical installations, reduces the apparent power drawn from the grid by as much as 50%. Power Factor Corrections capacitors are also able to increase the system capacity of your electrical supply while improving the voltage.
How does one select the required capacitors and installation type? Once the decision has been made to install power factor correction capacitors, you will need to choose the optimum type, size, and the number of capacitors for your plant.
Consider the following when choosing the installation type:
- Load Type
- Load Size
- Load Constancy
- Load Capacity
- Utility billing
With the right capacitors and installation chosen, you will be able to reap the benefits of Power Factor correction capacitors.
Power Factor Correction Controllers
Power Factor Correction Controllers are intelligent electronic devices which allow the automatic operation of power factor correction equipment. They also track the number of times each capacitor bank is switched on or off as well as the total duration each capacitor bank has been energized.
This information is useful to determine which bank will be energized or de-energized, as the electrical load of the plant changes over time, resulting in an even wear of the complete power factor correction installation.
Controllers ensure that the right amount of reactive power is generated for your electrical equipment, and this allows for smooth functionality throughout the day.
Harmonic Filtration Systems
Harmonics are a form of electrical pollution present in an electrical system, which increases the current within the electrical distribution system, causing equipment to overheat. This is also known as the “silent killer,” as it also decreases the lifespan of your equipment.
Money is being spent on replacing equipment that is failing sooner, rather than later.
Harmonic Filtration systems reduce excessive harmonic levels and improve the power factor of factories. Mitigating the problems caused by elevated harmonic levels is crucial for businesses operating in high levels of this form of electrical pollution
When necessary, Alpha Power Solutions has harmonic filters built into their Power Factor Correction Equipment and in doing so, diminish the risks associated with elevated harmonic levels within your company.
Once these systems are installed, regular maintenance is needed to keep the systems functioning flawlessly. With so many ways to improve energy efficiency, staff needs to be trained, or a service agreement can be agreed upon, to look after the systems and resolve any issues which may occur over the life of the equipment.
Power factor correction and harmonic filtration can become complicated and intricate to understand with over 30 years of experience in Power Factor Correction and Harmonic Filtration. Alpha Power Solutions can conduct a professional energy audit, allowing for every technical aspect to be identified for a customized solution to be engineered, which meets your operational needs.