Prices for T12 lamps are expected to spike as supplies dwindle. Eventually you will have to make the switch to a different system (like T8 or T5) or you’ll be working in the dark. The news isn’t all bad. There is an ROI if you make the switch. According to the Energy Cost Savings Council the average savings when you switch to energy efficient lighting is 45% (a 1 to 3 year payback). In addition there is Federal assistance available (as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005) that can give you a tax deduction, which can help you write off part of the cost of your lighting upgrade.

It gets even better. Several states and utility companies have financial incentive programs to help you further offset the cost of making the switch. But these incentives won’t last forever so the longer you wait to upgrade the less incentive money will be available to you. The clock is ticking. So call us and we can help you make the switch. To give you an idea of your potential savings you can check out our Energy Efficiency Savings Calculator here: www.thatsnew.com/services/energy-efficiency/

If we think of electricity as water flowing through a pipe it can help us understand amps, volts and watts. Amps would be the volume of water flowing through the pipe. The water pressure would be the voltage. Watts would be the power (volts x amps) the water could provide (think back to the old days when water was used to power mills). So with this analogy in mind the definitions below for amp, volt and watt should be easier to understand:

Amp – an ampere is the unit for measuring electricity. The accepted standard unit used for measuring how fast an electric current flows is an example of an ampere.

Volt – the basic unit of electromotive force in the SI and MKS systems, equal to the electromotive force, or difference in potential, that causes a current of one ampere to flow through a conductor having a resistance of one ohm.

Watt – the basic unit of electric, mechanical, or thermal power in the SI and MKS systems, equal to one joule per second or 10 ergs per second (of a horsepower): for electric power it is equal to one volt-ampere.

Back to our analogy; electricity is the flow (like water) of electrons through a conductor like a wire. The rate at which electricity flows is measured as an electric current. The electric current is measured in amps. What makes the current flow? In our water analogy we could say a battery would be the pump that makes the water flow which creates pressure in the pipe. The pressure is the voltage. And as we said before the watts are the power the water could provide (like to a mill wheel). The watt is a measure of how much power is released each second.

We hope you now have a better understanding of the difference between amps, volts and watts. If you have any questions though feel free to contact us at 855-210-8282.

Understanding Power Factor

There are three types of power in industrial electrical systems:

1.   Real (or active) power: Power that does useful work.

2.   Reactive power: Nonworking power that is used to create a magnetic field, which in turn is used to facilitate useful work.

3.   Total (or apparent) power: The combination of real and reactive power, which is the actual power used by your industrial facility.

Power factor is a measurement defined as the ratio of real power to total power. In other words, power factor measures the percentage of power that is being used for useful work. When this percentage drops below about 0.95 or 95%, it means that about five percent of the current coming from the electrical company is being used for nonworking power, and many utility companies will charge you a penalty fee as a result of this inefficiency.

What Causes Low Power Factor?

Low power factor usually is caused by inductive loads, such as:

• Electric motors
• Transformers
• Arc welders
• HVAC systems
• Molding equipment
• Presses
• High-intensity discharge lighting

Unlike resistive loads (i.e., incandescent lights, electric heaters, cooking ovens), which involve a more direct conversion to useful work in the form of heat energy, inductive loads operate off of the magnetic field that is created by reactive power.

What Are the Benefits of Improving My Power Factor?

There are many benefits to improving a low power factor, including:

A smaller utility bill. By correcting your power factor, you can reduce the amount of reactive power needed to run your facility, thus lowering your electric bill. You can also avoid any potential penalty fees from your utility company.

An increase in electrical system capacity. A low power factor causes a greater loss of power in your electrical distribution system.

Fewer voltage fluctuations. An inefficient system with power losses can result in equipment overloads, overheating and a shorter service life.

How Can I Correct My Power Factor?

While low power factor can cause a significant increase in your plant expenses and a decrease in your system’s efficiency, you can take several steps to help correct your power factor, including:

• Minimizing the operation of idling or lightly loaded inductive equipment, particularly motors
• Replacing defunct motors with energy-efficient ones, and operating these near their rated capacity
• Avoiding operating your equipment above its rated voltage
• Installing capacitors to decrease the amount of reactive power used

New Electric can provide the assistance you may need to assess the many ways you can improve your power factor, and to correctly locate and install capacitors in your electrical distribution system.

1. Make sure your math is accurate. Sounds pretty logical but this is where a lot of mistakes are made.

2. Have a flash hazard analysis performed by a qualified electrical firm like New Electric. Being in business for 40+ years our wealth of knowledge is pretty extensive.

3. Be wary of free tools online that say they can help you perform an analysis. Many aren’t very accurate which leads us back to number 1, “Make sure your math is accurate.”

Although preventative maintenance is always recommended it is worth noting that arc flash events can still occur. This is where PPE comes in. PPE stands for Personal Protection Equipment and it is used to protect people who work on electrical equipment. When does it have to be worn? Within flash protection boundaries. Don’t get lazy in the area. Make sure you have the proper equipment and make sure your employees utilize it. It may just save a life.

Transformer Reliability

Over the past 20 years “Just in time delivery” has changed Preventative maintenance from a necessary item of expenditure to a strategic tool in managing your production. Extreme reliability is demanded of electric power distribution equipment, and even though the failure risk of a transformer and other oil-filled electrical equipment is small, when failures occur, they inevitably lead to high repair costs, long downtime and possible safety risks.

By measuring the physical and chemical properties of oil, in addition to the concentrations of certain dissolved gases, a number of problem conditions associated with either the oil or the transformer can be determined and down time can potentially be avoided. The following are some common tests performed on electrical insulating oils.

Moisture Content
One of the most important functions of transformer oil is to provide electrical insulation. Any increase in moisture content can reduce the insulating properties of the oil, This is of particular importance with fluctuating temperatures because, as the transformer cools down, any dissolved water will become free, which results in poor insulating power.

Acid Number
Transformer oils are oxidized under the influence of excessive temperature and oxygen, this results in an increase in Acid Number, due to the formation of carboxylic acids. Further oxidization can result in sludge and varnish deposits. In the worst-case scenario, the oil canals become blocked and the transformer is not cooled well
Oil degradation also produces acids, which tend to reduce the insulating properties of the oil. An increase in Acid Number often goes hand-in-hand with a decrease in dielectric strength and increased moisture content.

Dielectric Strength
The dielectric strength of transformer oil is defined as the maximum voltage that can be applied across the fluid without electrical breakdown. Because transformer oils are designed to provide electrical insulation, any significant reduction in the dielectric strength may indicate that the oil is no longer capable of performing this vital function.

Power Factor
The power factor of insulating oil is the ratio of true power to apparent power. In a transformer, a high power factor is an indication of significant power loss in the insulating oil, usually as a result of contaminants such as water, oxidized oil and cellulose paper degradation.

Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA)
Dissolved gas analysis (often referred to as DGA), is used to determine the concentrations of certain gases in the oil such as nitrogen, oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, methane, ethane, ethylene and acetylene. The concentrations and relative ratios of these gases can be used to diagnose certain operational problems with the transformer. For example, high levels of carbon monoxide may indicate thermal breakdown of cellulose paper, while high hydrogen, in conjunction with methane may indicate a corona discharge within the transformer.

Furans
Furan derivatives are a measure of the degradation of cellulose paper. When the paper ages its degree of polymerization reduces, so its mechanical strength decreases. The degree of polymerization can only be determined directly by taking a sample of paper, a very complex operation and almost never performed in practice. However, the degree of polymerization of the paper can be directly related to the concentration of furan derivatives in the oil.

Just like machinery oil analysis, electrical insulating oil analysis can play a vital role in preventing unscheduled outages in electrical distribution equipment by determining the condition of the equipment itself, and other vital components including the condition of the oil and the cellulose paper insulation. For all critical oil-filled electrical equipment, including transformers, regular, routine oil analysis should be the cornerstone of any PM program.

One thing you can do to reduce that electrical bill each month is to make sure your plant is running efficiently. There are all kinds of ways to reduce your energy cost like using energy efficient lighting. For example, if you have 200 (400 Watt) lamps with an annual burn of 4000 hours at an average of .07 KWHR you could save over $15,000 annually. How? Convert to an energy efficient lighting solution. In this case converting to 4 Lamp T8 – 128 Watts did the trick.

A $15,000 savings annually by just changing one thing in your plant is a nice bite out of your electrical bill. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. You could install Smart Meters so equipment runs only at optimal times. You could install motion sensors so lights are only in use when someone is in the room. Your electric company most likely charges you a higher cost when there is a low power factor. Power factor correction can fix that and reduce your energy costs.

The list of ways to reduce your plants energy costs is long. One of the best ways to find out all the options you have in making your plant more energy efficient is to schedule an energy audit. It costs nothing to find out how much money you could be saving. So stop paying too much and give us a call.