For high consumers of electricity, power usage monitoring and energy efficiency measures are of particular importance.
Effective monitoring not only assists with reducing energy consumption and costs, but is relevant for organisations aiming to achieve or maintain the ISO 14001 environmental standard. ISO 14001 states that objectives and targets shall be measurable, where practicable, and that an organisation should regularly monitor and measure the key characteristics of its operations that can have a significant environmental impact – of which electricity consumption can be one.
Regular monitoring with tools such as the Tinytag Energy Logger from Gemini Data Loggers can be highly effective. It is often easier to look at logger readings than attempt to decipher electricity bills (which are often estimated) or meter readings! The Energy Logger uses non-invasive flexible coils to monitor the current in each phase of a three phase supply, while voltage information may be obtained via a standard 13A wall socket. Safe and easy to use, the logger records data which is downloaded to a PC. The unit also records ‘Power Factor’ (PF) data, a measure of power transmission efficiency: this can be significant because power companies typically charge a higher rate for industrial or commercial customers with a low PF.
Energy monitoring can sometimes lead to very direct savings. For example, in Gemini’s own production facility, recorded data revealed that the reflow oven accounted for about 15% of the full electricity bill. Gemini was able to initially reduce this by carefully controlling its use, and ultimately replacing it with a more efficient device.
Monitoring can also lead to more unexpected discoveries. In one case, temperature monitoring by school caretakers revealed that central heating had sometimes been set to come on over the weekend. In another example, an employer, using an Energy Logger, discovered his employees were switching off their equipment and leaving early on a Friday…
‘Before and after’ monitoring, can help in the evaluation of, for example, replacement LED lighting or Building Environmental Management Systems.
Energy monitoring and careful analysis of results can lead to specific, straightforward and practical ways of cutting energy consumption and meeting environmental management targets
See the full Tinytag range at the Energy Event, NEC, 16-17 September, Stand B51
Gemini Data Loggers (UK) Ltd
Scientific House
Terminus Road
Chichester
PO19 8UJ
+44 (0)1243 813000
Gemini Data Loggers has been designing and manufacturing the Tinytag range of data loggers in the UK since 1992 and trades globally with a network of over 40 distributors. The Energy Logger costs £795 +VAT. Other Tinytags in the range monitor parameters such as temperature, humidity and CO2 and are used for a variety of industrial, environmental and energy efficiency applications.
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