With the uncertainty surrounding the availability and prices of today’s energy supply, plant engineers are tasked with maintaining operable and cost-effective facilities. Those who meet the challenge must be well versed in the principles of energy management and equipped with the proper tools. A ground-up approach, starting with submetering of equipment, lines, processes, or departments can form the basis for an overall energy strategy.

Submetering provides quantifiable data about where and when energy is being consumed within a facility. Along with this data comes the power to manage efficiencies and costs.

Identify Energy Loads

A load profile, compiled from submetered data, enables you to prioritize energy usage, shift or shed noncritical loads to avoid peak demand utility charges, identify inefficient processes, and improve on them.

With information gathered from submeters, the benefits of load management and high-efficiency products can be justified. These data can also be used to calculate the return on investment of energy-related expenditures.

Determine Activity-Based Costing

You can shift energy management responsibility to the processes and people who are consuming the energy. By accurately allocating energy costs to individual users, you create accountability and incentive to manage energy costs.

Develop an Energy Comparison Procedure

Document your past and present energy consumption patterns for later negotiating with the utility. Power management software can emulate utility rates and apply submetered data, enabling you to compare various rate structures for the optimal benefit for your facility. Use these data to confirm that the actual usage agrees with the utility’s charges.

The Tools

Eaton’s Cutler-Hammer business offers an array of submetering devices.

Tying It All Together

Cutler-Hammer Engineering Services and Systems (C-H ESS) can help you devise the most cost-effective energy strategy for your facility. They can remotely monitor and diagnose complex problems from their 24-hour Instant Response Center. Our engineers and technicians are experts with all Cutler-Hammer power management products as well as devices and software from other major manufacturers.

Call the experts at the Power Quality Hotline with your most challenging technical questions. Call 1-800-809-2772 and choose option 1 then sub-option 2. For more information on Cutler-Hammer products and services, call 1-800-525-2000 or 1-616-982-1059 or visit www.cutler-hammer.com .

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