Energy Monitoring with PlantRun
Energy is a significant cost for many manufacturers. In the UK The Environment Agency is issuing energy reduction agreements for various industry sectors. These agreements mean that participating companies can make significant savings on their energy bills in return for investments in energy reduction.
PlantRun Energy Monitoring can be integrated into any PlantRun system to provide a means of proving energy saving initiatives and clearly identifying areas to target. Making use of the existing platform also saves money on infrastructure and training as users are already familiar with the system.
Monitor energy use per asset
By utilising energy meters that support Modbus TCP communications protocol all that is required to connect to the PlantRun server is LAN cabling. The PlantRun system is configured to link to each of the meters and retrieve the power consumption level and power factor on a regular basis.
Split core current sensors allow installation to single or three phase power cables. This makes it straightforward to monitor energy user per asset. Power consumption can then be linked to production runs on a per asset basis. This provides a level of information not achievable by just monitoring incoming supply lines. Link to typical meter - Socomec Diris A-40
Any utility useage including water, gas, steam, compressed air etc can be monitored in a similar way with the use of suitable meters or sensors.
The following features are available in the PlantRun system:
Trend Displays
- Shows real time and historic trending of current usage
- Shows the power usage from all monitored locations
Recording Usage
- PlantRun is configured to capture the meter readings every ½ hour and store them into a database
Power Monitoring Reports
- Reports can be generated over any period of time using the recorded data
- Totals are included for the selected period
Production Based Reports
- The existing databases will also be expanded to include the power consumption data
- Reports can be produced showing the power usage for each production run