October 2009
A cost-efficient way to monitor commercial and industrial buildings' power use on screen and in real-
time has been developed by K E Brown Electrical Switchboards.
The computerised system links into branch circuit monitors to measure the individual current draw of each breaker in a distribution board so switchboard controllers can see exactly how much power individual circuits are drawing at any particular time.
The system can be linked to a multifunction meter which monitors the overall distribution board parameters and can display data such as volts, kilowatts and power factor.
The information appearing on-screen through fine monitoring technology shows the amount of load being drawn to power particular building services and essential technologies, such as lighting, HVAC and Refrigeration, data processing and production equipment.
The system - an example of which is in operation at our Warriewood headquarters - enables operators to react immediately to adjustments needed achieve energy efficiency and systems security.
Warnings and alarms can be set to advise the operator of impending problems.
Power monitoringUsage monitoring is particularly important for industries with dynamic load capacities, including data processing, "green" buildings and process and control systems.
Rather than having to install a complete sophisticated BMS Building Interface management system, the power monitoring technology and on-screen display enables an operator to see at a glance what is happening and to react accordingly.
"Real time monitoring capability is going to be increasingly important as business owners seek to reduce their carbon footprint and energy costs - not to mention detecting potential faults and overloads correcting them before they cause damage," says Engineering Services Manager Sean Peacock.
The data can be downloaded to an external source for data logging purposes. The system can be securely accessed and controlled from any computer connected to a local network or the Internet using a web based interface.
