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Load profile important to ensure power supply security to schools

6th April 2020

By: Schalk Burger

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

     

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It is critical for schools, as well as businesses, home owners and public buildings, to determine their load profile and the various load categories so that appropriate types of power supply systems can be used, to avoid oversized systems and so that the potential for load reduction and renewable energy can be considered, all with the view to achieve acceptable return on investment, energy efficiency consulting and power management services firm Inframid MD Nick Oosthuizen says.

Schools cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach to secure power and save energy. School loads are not only seasonal but also vary throughout the weeks and days. Schools should conduct an electrical audit and understand their current electrical load. It is important to know electrical demand, load content and electrical distribution architecture, which will help to identify the requirements for special supply systems and avoid fruitless expenditure.

There are at least five different segments to consider: essential loads, critical no-break loads, non-essential loads, energy inefficient loads, and total load profile over time, he said.

Essential loads consist of fundamental electrical systems that help the school and safety and security systems remain operational.

"These essential loads require reliable backup power supply sources to maintain electricity supply under mains fail conditions for as long as needed. For schools, these normally include classroom lighting, educational sports facilities, power points for educational systems, offices, learning and admin computer systems, printers, projectors and essential water pumps," Oosthuizen says.

Additionally, no-break loads are elements of the essential load that need seamless power transfer and cannot tolerate a break in power supply when switching from utility supply to backup power. In a school, seamless transfer is needed in areas such as administration and classroom computing systems where valuable information will be lost if power supply is interrupted.

"No-break loads require uninterrupted power supply (UPS) systems when the main power supply fails,” says Oosthuizen. As these UPS systems are normally battery and sometimes solar supported and very costly, it is important to know exactly what size the no-break loads are and how long they will need to be supplied by the UPS systems.

Meanwhile, inefficient energy loads include electrical elements which can be replaced by energy-efficient alternatives to make the load-bearing less.

“This lends itself to energy saving in day-to-day operations. For example, all new geysers must comply with the new minimum standard as set by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy to ensure less pressure on your electrical load,” Oosthuizen points out.

In schools, the replacement of air conditioners and electric heaters with the latest state-of-the-art low energy and unity power factor technology will have an impact on energy consumption. Changing older light fittings to the newest technology light-emitting-diode fittings will also have a significant impact on energy usage, he notes.

Water and sewage pumps can be further considerations. In general, pumps have a very low power factor, which means they draw higher current than necessary.

“Schools that have many pumping systems should consider power-factor correction to these loads to increase the power factor, which will decrease the reactive power and lead to various cost benefits, such as lower demand charges, avoiding reactive power penalties and freeing up distribution system capacity,” advises Oosthuizen.

Schools should determine their total load profile for at least a year. When determining load, schools should not rely solely on utility account information, as this normally only provides monthly maximum demand where applicable and energy use.

"Additionally, it is important to understand which parts of your load can be moved to non-operational times, such as after 15:00, when total consumption is less. There are many timer and automation technologies on the market that can help with load shifting in order to spread the usage curve,” he adds.

“Investing in an alternative power supply system for your school is a good idea. However, for it to be a feasible investment, a school must clearly understand its load requirements as a critical first step. Analysing this to inform decisions about which alternative power supply solutions are most suitable will allow schools to protect against potential loss of business and information, as well as achieve energy savings,” concludes Oosthuizen.

Edited by Chanel de Bruyn
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

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