Reveal the potential of your power network

As energy-intensive businesses continue to operate in today’s constrained environment, the need for effective energy management is greater than ever. Due to Australia’s strong economic growth, some sectors are still seeing an increase in electrical energy emissions, as shown in the National Greenhouse Accounts released in April.

Although power is a critical element for any business, no matter what industry, it needs to be reliable and economically sustainable. With organisations increasingly using more power, managing it efficiently can be a challenging task. Traditional power-management solutions such as switch gear, circuit breakers and metering devices are all key elements to managing energy usage. However, relying solely on these to keep track of usage could mean that businesses miss the opportunity to run their operations even more efficiently.

Poor power management in a business presents a number of risks. Without a clear understanding of what state the electrical infrastructure is in, there is no visibility of what is happening inside a facility in terms of energy usage. This could lead to reliability issues with power availability if problems are not tracked and monitored, which could have a huge impact on business if power fails. Additionally, without visibility across the infrastructure, businesses are unable to identify where money is being spent on energy.

Organisations regularly face challenges in maintaining or even increasing profits. Energy is a significant and often overlooked expense that can represent a substantial area of opportunity.

Once energy usage and its related costs are exposed, the potential for releasing large amounts of wasted money can be realised. Reducing these costs can help firms survive tough times in the short term while reducing financial risk and strengthening competitive positioning into the future. Energy management is one approach in which businesses can easily keep track of usage and monitor spending more effectively.

The concept of energy management can be a daunting task, especially when it means moving away from traditional or well-known tools and systems that are already in place. With multiple elements such as maintaining power system reliability, complying with evolving emissions regulations and reducing the risks posed by volatile energy prices, energy management can seem nearly impossible to achieve.

However, power management doesn’t need to be a difficult task. Combined solutions are available that allow businesses to improve operational, cost and energy efficiencies, increase reliability and availability of power and improve asset optimisation.

Moving away from traditional power-management tools towards more complete solutions that offer an integrated, fully scalable and reliable power-management system allows businesses to improve the electrical distribution system’s reliability, from medium voltage to final distribution. This is done by using advanced software that provides central monitoring, control and analytical functions, combined with customised applications where needed. Opting for a complete mechanical, electrical and digital system that is modular and interoperable allows improved continuity of supply and enhanced safety for people and equipment.

By using the information that these systems provide, businesses have the opportunity to make decisions on how best to minimise costs and energy use without affecting overall business operations. This increases the financial and operational efficiency of an enterprise, which is one of the key limitations of traditional power-management solutions.

When choosing a power-management system, a key consideration is compatibility with third-party systems. Businesses may have some traditional management solutions already in place, so third-party integration should be a priority in order to seamlessly integrate and leverage all systems.

However, not all businesses operate in the same way and infrastructure varies, meaning power-management requirements will be different. It is important that a solution is flexible in order to adapt to unique business requirements as well as the changing environments within organisations.

A key consideration should be to ensure power-management systems are fully integrated, complete solutions that offer flexibility to meet individual business requirements and help solve challenges.

For example, if a data centre was concerned about escalating energy usage, by using a flexible solution it could implement pre-designed power-management solutions that include the ability to verify and track power usage effectiveness (PUE), in addition to resolving issues such as battery maintenance, run-time variations and integration with fuel-management systems. Using an advanced power-management system means the data centre would have the necessary information to identify where and when energy is being used and make informed decisions about the best solutions to reduce power consumption and save money on operating costs.

When considering the capabilities of a power-management system, it is important that businesses are able to quickly and easily monitor, analyse and control the entire network to ensure visibility. Power-management solutions that comprise integrated hardware, communications and software components that unite disparate power infrastructure elements are one way a network can be closely tracked and monitored. By selecting seamless technology that underpins the solutions, both management and front-line personnel have the personalised tools needed to make timely, cost-trimming energy decisions without sacrificing reliability or operational efficiency.

In a world where businesses are constantly searching for a competitive advantage, complete power-management solutions have the ability to support this by providing a more advanced system compared to traditional power-management solutions. When implementing an advanced system, businesses have the potential to achieve energy savings of up to 30%.

Power management is a concern across all industries, and an issue that is unlikely to disappear in the future. It is important for all businesses to be mindful of the power they use, and consider options that give them complete visibility. Not only will it improve on cost savings, benefiting the business overall, but it also means regulations can be adhered to in the future.