Energy Efficient Transformers For Reduced Energy Consumption in Steel Industry

Due to its unique production methodology, the steel industry often requires customized transformers. Transformers are a vital component of the energy grid, besides other things they contribute to the efficient production and management of high-quality electricity.

Standard transformers, while under full load operating at 90% to 95% efficiency but their efficiency drops as load lightens. This is usually due to inefficiencies in the transformer's core. Losses in the core remain the same throughout the transformer's operating range, at 100% load, the amount of comparative loss is negligible, however, at reduced loads, and a higher percentage of energy is wasted.

As a matter of fact, transformer loads run between 34% and 50% of their total capacity on average. With most of the electricity used in the US being run through transformers at lower loads, massive amounts of energy are being wasted. This issue is of special relevance to the steel industry which already has a high demand for energy.

Adopting customized cost-effective solutions like NEMA-approved transformers and harnessing solar or wind energy to meet future energy needs can be a good idea to reduce energy consumption in the long run. Especially since alternate energy options will help steel companies avoid the uncertainty of fluctuating international fuel prices.

Keeping in mind that transformers in the steel industry have to operate in conditions of extreme heat, special attention needs to be paid to ensure the safety and reliability of the transformers it designs. Ensure required transformer protection equipment, such as cooling systems with redundancy is delivered and provided according to project requirements.

Most steel companies are under tremendous pressure to keep costs down and stay competitive and, using energy-efficient transformers seems to be one good way of achieving this. Choosing the right transformer can however be a complex task, especially as the needs of a steel company can be highly customized. It is here that experienced companies can partner you through the process of identifying your needs, choosing the right transformer as an energy-saving solution, customizing it to ensure you get the highest returns on your investment, and facilitating its use for the longest time possible.

Services such as power quality monitoring, offered by Icopower ESCO, also help with reducing energy consumption and maximizing savings. Visit www.icopower-esco.com to know more.

4 Significant Benefits of Power Factor Correction

 Power factor correction is one of the many measures that can be applied to electric and power management systems to increase their efficiency. Some of the most significant benefits of power factor correction are:

1. Preventing power factor penalties

Some industrial processing facilities utilize a large number of induction motors to function their pumps, conveyors, and other types of machinery. These induction motors permit the power factor to be intrinsically low for most industrial facilities. Many electric utility companies use a lower power factor to reduce the power factor penalty from your bill.

2. Reducing demand charges

Many electric utility companies charge for maximum metered demand either on the basis of the highest registered demand in kilowatts or a fraction of the highest registered demand in KVA, whichever is bigger. In case the power factor is low, the percentage of the measured KVA will be notably greater than the KW demand. Enhancing the power factor through power factor correction will, therefore, reduce the demand charge, helping to lower electricity bills.

3. The increasing capability of existing circuits

Installing power factor correction capacitors at the edge of existing circuits close to the inductive loads lowers the current flowing in each circuit. This lowered current flow, resulting from improved power factor, can allow the circuit to carry new loads. This prevents the expenses of renovating the distribution network when extra capacity is needed for additional machinery or equipment, saving individuals or companies thousands of dollars in redundant upgrade costs.

4. Voltage power optimization

A lower power factor would mean a higher current flow for any given load. As the line current increases, the voltage drop in the conductor rises at the same time, which could lead to a lower voltage at the equipment. With a better power factor, the voltage drop in the conductor is close to negligible, optimizing the voltage power.

Power factor correction is also one of the finest ways for power quality monitoring and also helps negate resistive losses in the circuit. For more information about power factor correction and energy efficiency financing, feel free to visit www.icopower-esco.com.