Leading supplier ElectroMechanica (EM) has supplied the Socomec Digiware system to a large South African corporation’s head office in Sandton, where it is being used for large-scale electrical metering to meet the project’s five-star Green Star rating.

EM is the sole distributor of Socomec’s metering offer, and was contracted as a hardware supplier in this regard for the project. Product Manager Artur Socha explains that the system can cover a large number of metering points, is highly accurate, and also allows for significant space-saving in the electrical panels. The solution needed to be flexible and modular, and ultimately be able to translate data back to the building’s power metering and building automation system software.

The total number of metered points exceeded 1 500 measured electrical loads, from LV main distribution down to sub distribution board level for basic electrical loads. The metering of all power distribution units in the data centre was also included in the scope, thus adding to the overall requirement of providing metering hardware with a small installation footprint within the panels.

EM commenced work on the project through a contracted engineering consultancy group in 2016. After the Digiware solution was selected, the supplier was involved continuously, from the panel assembly to on-site support during commissioning. Metering solutions of this scale need to have dedicated system integrators and service provides to ensure consistency throughout the installation to deliver solutions that are customised to the end-user’s requirements.

The Digiware system comprises a hub of technological innovations that revolutionise metering measurement, bringing a high degree of flexibility to installations, and making connection and configuration easy. These innovations combine to deliver unrivalled performance in terms of accuracy and functionality.

This makes it the most effective solution for metering consumption, and measuring and monitoring the quality of electrical energy in industrial and commercial applications, requiring a large concentration of points with a small footprint. “These were the main reasons that the system was selected for this mega-project,” Socha comments.

The 12 000 m2 building is located in the heart of Africa’s richest square mile. In 2017, it received a five-star Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA), making it one of the largest new-build projects to receive this rating to date.