Thursday, November 7, 2024

Don’t Waste Your Energy. Measure It!

Optimization of thermal energy from heat delivery between central heating plants to real estate end users or heat transfer flows in industrial processes: controlling and balancing the flow of energy is of utmost importance for cost conscious users.

But you can’t identify or manage energy efficiency if you don’t effectively measure energy usage in the first place.

To record thermal energy flows, which are based on the transport of liquids or gases in pipelines, the ideal measurement solution is: FLUXUS®. The clamp-on ultrasonic systems record thermal energy flows from outside the pipe, without the pipe having to be tapped or modified in any way. Portable FLUXUS® meters have long been part of the measurement tool kit of energy managers and energy consultants, but our fixed meters also offer quickly installed solutions at optimum cost – without any process outages for commissioning.

The introduction of an energy management system according to ISO 50001, and accompanying schemes such as ESOS, the Carbon Reporting scheme, Carbon Net Zero 2030, 2050, etc., increases the demand for permanently available and comparable data. Non-invasive measurement with FLUXUS® provides easy and permanent recording of consumption. Its ultra-wide measuring turndown is a particular advantage, revealing energy consumption at even the lowest rates, unlike many conventional inline and mechanical meters. As a result, even the lowest consumption is reliably and accurately recorded. Since there is no need to modify or penetrate the pipe, system operators save not only expensive installation work, but above all interruptions to operation or supply.

UK buildings covering commercial and public services, along with the manufacturing sector, are responsible for 93,000 GWh of the total final UK energy consumption; this is 30 per cent of UK consumption. And space heating of buildings is the most dominant energy usage at 49% of the non-domestic building stock energy consumption. When looking at non-electrical energy, space heating rises to 78%, and hot water 8% of non-electrical energy consumption. (Source: Dept for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy; Business Energy Statistical Summary, July 2018)

Thermal energy use is one of the highest building operating costs and there is a need to manage facilities more effectively to control and reduce energy consumption. Metering allows managers to know how their buildings are performing and what is running efficiently. If we look at a typical air-conditioned prestige head-office or administrative centre 4,000m² to 20,000m², as much as 50% of the energy consumption could be accountable from HVAC & Computer room cooling alone.

Fig. 1. Typical energy split of 4,000m² to 20,000m² prestige head-office or administrative centre

So, even small gains in efficient use of energy can have significant positive effects on both annual energy bills and carbon reduction. The opportunity for significant energy reduction exists at all major manufacturing, entertainment, municipal or administrative centres, such as:

  • Local Government Offices
  • Major corporate offices and Data Centres
  • Hospitals & University Campuses
  • Major manufacturing sites
  • Airport Terminal Buildings
  • Entertainment stadia and Expo halls
  • Warehouses and significant supermarkets / wholesalers
  • Refrigeration plants – clamp-on ammonia gas metering

Fig. 2. Typical data centre installation showing clamp-on flow transducers and PT100 temperature sensors prior to reinsulating over the pipes.

Fig. 3. (Main image above headline) Clamp-on metering at a major UK airport

Metering alone will not save energy, but allows comparative data before and after energy improvement initiatives, such as:

  • Boiler, HVAC or CHP efficient delta T achievement
  • Avoidance of excessive water flows
  • Reduction in compressed air operating pressures and leaks
  • Reduction in steam losses, e.g. via blocked open steam traps, etc

FLEXIM’s FLUXUS Energy Meters provide the following key benefits:

  • Ultrasonic measurement of:
    • Thermal energy
    • Compressed air
    • Steam flow metering up to 400ºC
  • Clamp-on instant feedback measurement for fine tuning energy efficiency
  • Zero outages for installation
  • Easy and quick installation –no leaks, no pressure drop, no contamination
  • Calibrated, certified and traceable high-accuracy measurement with zero drift
  • Extremely high turndown range, captures even the lowest energy flows
  • Fixed installations or portable survey instruments
  • Practically maintenance-free – no parts in contact with flowing medium

Fig. 4. Clamp-on steam measurement at major chemical manufacturing plant

FLEXIM’s FLUXUS Energy Meters are the ideal solution for temporary or permanent submetering, energy audits, plant optimisation tasks and the verification of existing meters in the industrial sector.

For further information on how FLEXIM can deliver metering without supply interruption contact: sales@flexim.co.uk | 01606 781 420 | www.flexim.co.uk

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