Top 10 Power Saving Techniques in Industry – Electrical Perspective
The term power saving refers to the ideas and methods that can be used to reduce the load on the system or the amount of energy delivered at the end of the shipment. This is done without affecting the quality of life. Power-saving techniques can help save industries millions on energy costs and utilities the same amount of money.
Costs can be reduced by, for example, switching off lights and machines when they are not being used and replacing an older high-power motor with a more efficient and lower-power one. Many industries use old engines that need to be changed. If a motor with an efficiency of 83% consumes electric power of $3734 per year and can be replaced by a high-efficiency engine, 87.5% will save $189 annually. This blog will discuss how industrial, residential, or commercial consumers can reduce their electricity usage.
Why is it so important to save power?
The following are the main reasons why power saving or energy conservation is essential today:
The demand for fossil fuels has increased as the technology advances. The increase in fossil fuel consumption is polluting the environment.
At each level, whether commercial, industrial, or residential, irresponsible attitudes and unnecessary waste of electricity are reflected in high utility bills.
Energy is wasted by equipment that has been damaged, such as motor overloads, cables, and motors with excessive size, dim lighting, and less efficient machinery.
Power-saving is essential to reduce pollution and costs and mitigate losses.
Energy Policy:
A document or set of regulations is an energy policy. It includes strategies and actions to be taken to save energy. Energy policies are based on several standards.
ISO 50001, for example, a standard designed to manage energy, has the following characteristics:
Energy Audit:
An energy audit can help identify power losses caused by different equipment. It will also show you the areas that consume the most power and the steps needed to reduce it without affecting production.
The following steps are included in the energy audit:
Walkthrough audit: It analyzes the area, major and minor loads and types of work done there, staff numbers, shifts, timings, etc. These audits may result in replacing old CFL bulbs with LED and reducing switches for luminaires, etc.
Detailed audit includes data collection, bill comparison, losses caused by equipment, replacing the old equipment with new equipment and calculating its payback period, and what steps a facility needs to take to save energy, which could include educating workers about energy-saving steps and rewarding employees for showing responsibility.
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is increasingly popular today, as it’s a free energy source with almost no carbon emissions. Renewable energy combines wind, solar, biomass, and other sources. These energies can supply load by combining power system equipment and electronic devices. Renewable energy can be used in industrial facilities to reduce costs and demand for the utility company. Installing solar panels on an industrial scale and shifting the lighting load can reduce the burden of electricity generation.
Sensor-based lighting in bathrooms and other areas will save you a lot of electricity. For example, an office’s working hours are about 10, and the washroom lights stay on for that entire hour. In the washroom, instead of lighting the room for the whole office hour, you can use a sensor-based ultraviolet light that only turns on when something moves around it. This will save energy.
Power Factor
The Power Factor is a ratio that shows how much power is used to do practical work from what is supplied. Induction motors are the most common motor in the Industry. Induction motors are used to power two purposes.
First, do some practical work. This is usually rotating work.
Second, maintain the magnetic power known as reactive energy.
Reactive power is best kept to a minimum. An increase in reactive power causes a reduction in the power factor.
Two industries, for example, are supplied with a grid with the following information.
Data shows that two industries could have the same number of motors using 1 MW to do practical work, but because the grid’s power factor is different, the amount of power they receive changes. The grid will charge Industry A more because it has to provide more leverage.
To compensate for the reactive power requirements, condensers, STATCOM, and capacitor banks can be used.
To better understand power factors and their effects, you can read our blog on
Motor:
Motor winding temperatures increase due to overloading, voltage fluctuations, and insulation damage. The temperature rises lead to higher losses. According to reports, motor life is halved for every 10-degree increase in temperature.
We send motors to be rewound for this purpose. If rewinding takes place without care, it could result in a 1% reduction in efficiency. This will ultimately increase the cost of electricity.
When deciding on motor rewinding, you should consider the following points:
Rewinding the motor is not a good idea if it fails three times during its lifetime. Instead, replace it with a more efficient engine.
It is essential to know the capacity-rated current and winding design.
The core or insulation should not be damaged.
After rewinding, make sure the no-load current does not increase.
Rewinding must be done in a clean environment.
Motor Staggering:
When the motor is started, it uses almost three times the power of its rated capacity—for industries with many engines, starting each motor one at a time after a delay is recommended. This will reduce overall fuel costs and reduce the burden on electricity production.
As an example:
Three motors of 10 KW each, with a 30 KW starting power for a few second intervals, make up an industry. The surge of 90KW at the end of the generation will be seen if all motors are turned on simultaneously. If the engines are started individually, the surge will be less.
Housekeeping and Maintenance Plans:
The proper maintenance of industrial equipment and the monitoring of the loads could extend the life of the equipment. It can also reduce failures or losses.
As an example:
The lights can quickly become dimmed and dusty. Cleaning lights regularly will increase their brightness and life.
The motor can fail due to voltage imbalance. The engine can be saved from significant damage by monitoring and mitigating voltage imbalance.
In specific industries, motors can run continuously. This can lead to an increase in motor temperature. Overexposure to rough environments can also lead to insulation failure and body damage. For motor protection against environmental effects, a regular maintenance schedule that includes inspection, cleaning, and maintenance is recommended.
