Recent years have seen many industries initiate steps towards improved energy efficiency and better environmental responsibility. This shift has been prompted by many tangible benefits that include lower operation cost and minimal maintenance costs for equipment. While we must applaud the steps made by facilities towards enhanced energy control, implementation of energy control systems is still work in progress for many. It is understandable that some organizations are hesitant to install new equipment and roll out new maintenance regimes- lack of proper energy control means no concrete information about suitability of existing systems or equipment. It does not matter which industry you belong to; reliable energy control systems are relevant and could offer excellent opportunity for energy saving and faster return on investment.
Do I Need an Energy Control System?
Energy control systems in the industrial setting present a number of benefits, starting with identification of inefficiencies in the system. Effective energy management in your facility calls for measurement, visualization and optimization of energy efficiency opportunities. An energy control system enables you to determine inefficiencies for every unit, whether direct or indirect. The best power monitoring devices in the market can help measure energy efficiency for compressors, refrigeration systems, pumps, HVAC and so forth. Such measurement offers many benefits to a wide range of industrial facilities. For instance, industrial facilities are able to minimize peak demand. A monitoring system will send an alert when peak capacity is looming, thus allowing for penalty avoidance. You want to invest in an energy control system if you need answers to questions related to the following:
- Departments or sections that spend the most electricity
- The energy fluctuations in a certain section of the facility
- What causes energy consumption to continue even when the facility is shut down
- The type of abnormal energy usages and when they occur
- Classification of energy usage within the industry by Product and Style
Energy Control System Implementation- Points to Remember
Deciding whether to install or upgrade an energy control system is usually difficult for facility managers because there are hordes of factors on the table. If you are having problems determining the importance of professional energy control system & solutions, the first thing to check is the utility bill. Are you comfortable with the utility costs? If the bill seems too high, then you are a candidate for a modern control system. The examination does not stop there. You also need to ask yourself about the potential return on investment of an energy control system. Other issues that you need to address before installation of automated controls and energy solution are system capabilities, type of resources needed, and the level of expertise required for installation and maintenance. It may seem complicated, but all is straightforward and eye opening with input from an expert in automated controls and energy solutions.
Energy Management System- Monitor, Analyze, Control and Optimize
Energy control is an obligation of every process industry, and it is possible. All the strategy requires is a focused systematic method and willingness to succeed. Implementing an energy management system is a systematic process that starts with an assessment of the energy situation in a facility. As you proceed with the other steps that involve energy plans and daily operations, focus on the control aspect of the system as well, as this too enhances operational flexibility and performance. The success of the control system depends on knowledge about the energy situation in the facility, and your ability to act. Control is an important step in any energy management strategy. Once you have monitored your facility and analyzed energy data, an Integrated Control System comes in handy. 
Plant energy managers install automated systems that capture energy savings. Depending on the energy goals previously set, the managers can set the energy control system & solutions to achieve different results. For instance, the management of a process industry may aspire to use energy more consistently in the long term. In this case, they can turn to a load-management system, which measures energy consumption of certain machines/equipment to turn them or off to reduce peak demand. With modern energy control systems, facilities are able to enjoy flexible operations and enhanced performance, which will soon reflect in earnings. The secret for superior energy management and efficiency for the process industries is in identifying the energy-usage profiles and having reliable automated controls and energy solutions.
ARANER: Automation and Control You Can Trust
When you think about superior flexibility and performance of your district cooling facility, think about ARANER. Something unique about this control system is that it not only provides a fully automatic performance for the most demanding applications but also provides a deeper data treatment that is valuated as a differential element. We are proud to say that our control system for district cooling has the following capabilities:
- Billing system
- Reporting services
- Performance optimization
- Artificial intelligence
- Clouding, internet of things (IoT)
There are many reasons why you should trust this integrated control system for your facility. The very intuitive and easy-to-use Human Machine Interfaces (HMI) and SCADA’s are worth savoring by any operator. For seamless integration with a wide range of industrial automation and software systems, ARANER has used reliable industrial communication protocols such as Modbus, Profinet or BacNet. The communication backbone of the system is redundant EtherNet/IP. Apart from going in tandem with the times (latest PAC {Programmable Automation Controller} technology), this control system for DC allows for full customization through HMI alarms, color schemes, historical and real-time trending, built in reporting and other features.
Conclusion
The strategy you take towards achieving energy efficiency in your facility can mean the difference between success and failure. It is important to have measurable energy efficiency goals so that you can focus on the most effective solutions. Monitoring energy consumption has proven to be an effective method for both small and large industries. If you are yet to implement modern energy control systems, you need to think about this path because the potential environmental and economic benefits are many and worth the attempt. For more on this topic and our solutions aligned to energy control systems for district cooling and other related technologies, please contact us.
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