POWER QUALITY: THE BEST SOLUTION FOR ENERGY SAVING

power quality tensione

FROM ACCURATE MEASUREMENT TO REAL ENERGY SAVING

The best solutions for energy saving are those that are based on the intelligent efficiency of the systems. Good efficiency requires professionalism, quality and the ability to create custom solutions that adapt to the real needs of the individual sites in which it operates.

The advantages of e-Power and EP-X solutions:

  1. It is a solution that produces additional efficiency on already efficient modern electrical systems
  2. No changes are made to the system
  3. It is a solution based on the characteristics and energy absorption of the system
  4. It is a centralized solution in series that acts on the entire line powered by the MV transformer
  5. Timely data are provided to monitor and measure the variations of the individual parameters through a proprietary interface platform

VOLTAGE VS POWER QUALITY

The options for energy efficiency are of different types. One modality concerns the simple intervention on the voltage, which is proposed as a solution for energy saving by unprofessional companies.

This article highlights how, in industrialized countries, voltage optimizers are useless or even harmful, and that energy savings, on the rare occasions in which it is obtained, is actually achieved at the expense of performance and in situations that can even lead to greater wear of downstream connected equipment, with relative shortening of the useful life of the same.

This is a lesson learned the hard way by Saimpa, the company protagonist of a case study that we shared a short time ago. Here is the link to the original content to learn more

THE WORD TO THE EXPERT

We share some explanations of Prof. Francesco Grasso on the benefits of improving power quality. Professor Grasso is the head of the Smart Energy Lab, a joint research laboratory on power quality at the University of Florence and the heart of the research and development of e-Power devices and the new EP-X line.

Getting to the heart of the matter, Professor Grasso defines energy efficiency as “a reduction in demands”. It goes without saying that devices based on voltage control affect performance, without optimizing consumption since they do not reduce the needs.

At the Smart Energy Lab, the individual effects of the e-Power and EP-X devices are analyzed and quantified, in order to break down the different variables on which these devices intervene upstream of the electrical system.

From here it is possible to analyze in detail the performance before and after the intervention on the power quality carried out by the devices.

The essential questions that Professor Grasso and his team ask are:

  1. What is the consumption at the start
  2. How much can this consumption be reduced
  3. What devices reduce electrical system energy requirements
  4. What percentage of energy savings translate into this reduction in the requirements

To answer these questions, the Smart Energy Lab uses the international IPMVP protocol, which contains the most reliable measurement standards in the industry.

As Professor Grasso explains, the IPMVP gives precise instructions on how to measure and monitor the quantities of interest, in order to have reliable and seasonally adjusted data that offer a clear picture of the energy saving margin achievable in a representative time horizon. In this way, the consumption trend and the consequent savings of each individual reality is taken into account, net of the type of loads connected to the plant and the fluctuations in consumption during a period of time representative of the company cycles.

HOW MUCH CAN YOU SAVE?

The question is the basis of every efficiency strategy: allocating resources in the most efficient and effective solutions is the starting point and arrival point of the work of an energy manager.

Professor Grasso downplays expectations by immediately making it clear that the promise of savings exceeding 10%, with solutions based on power quality, is unrealistic because it simply “goes against the very principles of thermodynamics”.

Such an exaggerated promise must immediately put an energy manager on alert and make him doubt the proposal.

The solutions of Energia Europa, for example, are very cautious in communicating the results achievable, speaking of a saving of 4%.

As Professor Grasso points out, in reality “it is possible to reach 5-6% with these devices, which is a correct result as well an outstanding one in terms of performance “.

In addition to the savings achieved during standard operation, it is important to remember that with Energia Europa’s e-Power and EP-X solutions there are additional benefits, such as the protection of all equipment downstream of the installation that is sheltered from power surges, avoiding breakage, damage and downtime as a result of these peaks.

To find out more contact us! https://www.energia-europa.com/contacts/