Factory energy monitoring and optimisation

When a leading manufacturer of electronic circuit boards in the West Midlands needed to reduce their excessive gas consumption, they turned to the Synetica DataStream Energy Monitor – an Internet connected device that enabled them to collect, store and transmit data for total energy management.  Located in open plan and modern industrial premises, the companies heating bill appeared incredibly high in relation to the size of the unit and management were also implementing a drive to reduce their carbon footprint.  The DataStream Energy Monitor would give them the real-time data they needed to see why so much gas was being used and when, with a view to heating the factory more economically.

Using the DataStream Energy Monitor, readings were taken from the Gas and Electricity meters using a combination of the built-in pulse inputs and the Synetica Wi-CT – an EnOcean based wireless current meter.  The resulting values were logged into the battery-backed memory on the DataStream and the resultant files automatically forwarded, over the companies IT network, to a PC in the Facilities Manager’s office.  Along with additional readings via EnOcean wireless temperature sensors, located inside and outside the building, it was possible to correlate the energy usage against outdoor air temperature and the activity of the heating system.

Using the DataStream’s inbuilt web interface, external energy consultants were able to analyse the data and determine that the Gas heaters were firing up 2 hours before the first occupant arrived in the morning.  The Facilities Manager immediately checked the time clock controls and discovered that the Optimum Start/Stop was not functioning correctly. Within a couple of minutes the settings were restored to their correct levels and the heating subsequently came on only 30 mins before occupancy and shut down 45 mins before the end of the working day, without any of the employees reporting any reduction in comfort levels.  This simple adjustment to the heating system achieved an overall reduction in gas consumption of 15%.

Through the use of the EnOcean temperature data, it also became evident that the heating was running unnecessarily when the external air temperature was high.  So by utilising the digital outputs of the DataStream, an interlock was set to disable the heating when the external temperature was above 18°C.  Furthermore, using the internal EnOcean temperature sensor chart from the DataStream, there were prolonged periods where the internal temperature dropped suddenly, even though the heating was enabled.  After questioning employees, it become evident that a vehicle access door was being opened to let some cool air in when the unit became too hot, an obvious waste of energy.  To resolve the problem, the manager installed an EnOcean door contact on the vehicle access door and interlocked it to the heating output.  The combined reduction in energy from these simple measures was a further saving of 20%, showing a payback on the initial install costs of less than 8 months.

Due to the built-in functions of the DataStream, the Facilities Manager was able to add and commission the EnOcean devices with minimal support from Synetica, eliminating virtually all installation costs.  The DataStream has been designed for simplicity of installation/operation and a single configuration file, which can be updated via the IP network, sets all of the required parameters including IP network settings, meter scaling parameters, alarm thresholds and EnOcean device parameters.  The DataStream was remotely pre-configured and sent to site for rapid ‘plug & play’ installation by the on-site maintenance team.  The successful installation was remotely verified by Synetica technicians, which dramatically reduced the total cost of deployment.  Upgrades to the DataStream or the addition of new meters/sensors can also be carried out remotely via the IP network in order to future proof both the device and installation.