Energy Demand Management
P4B Solar specializes in delivering high-quality
Energy Demand Management solutions across South Australia.
Energy Demand Management
Large energy users experience significantly more complicated energy usage, management and billing. Often times, putting solar panels on a roof is not the whole picture for large commercial operators, whether due to misaligned energy consumption schedules, complex plant & machinery on-site or complex industrial processes impact power quality or supply.
A proactive energy demand management strategy can deliver significant financial and environmental benefits to your business immediately.
Energy Audits
Level-1 Energy Audit: This high-level review of on-site operations gives a broad overview of the energy sources, their contributions to the total profile and some high-impact, high return suggestions or curbing energy usage and increasing efficiency.
Level-2 Energy Audit: This mid-level review digs deeper into each energy source to identify the breakdown of contributors for each source. This review can identify the major plant and equipment which contributes to the on-site energy profile and identifies opportunities for efficiency or upgrades, along with other strategies to improve on-site energy consumption.
Level-3 Energy Audit: Level-3 audits are a deep dive into a business’s operations. Beyond identifying and reviewing the various sources of energy and the plant and equipment that contributes to each energy source, this comprehensive assessment identifies each and every contributor to the load profile, ranking the scope of impact of each piece of equipment or technology to determine the order of priority.
This level of audit is designed for businesses preparing to totally overhaul their operations in search of Net-Zero or Carbon positive environmental impact.
No two businesses are the same and as such, no two audits or solutions are the same. A site-inspection and meeting with your key people will inform the scope of audit required and the costs associated with conducting the works and making recommendations from there.
Contact our friendly and skilled team today to take control of your business energy needs.
Power Factor Correction
Power Factor refers to the quality of the power you’re using on-site but also how efficiently you’re using the power you’re purchasing. Power factor is read as a percentage of unity or 1. A Power Factor rating of greater than 0.95 is considered good quality power factor. A PF rating between 0.85 and 0.95 is considered acceptable but could be better. A PF rating below 0.85 is considered poor power factor and anything under 0.75 is considered problematic.
Think of power like a dance between voltage and current in your electrical system. Power factor is like how well these two dancers stay in sync. When they're perfectly in step (power factor of 1), everything flows smoothly. But if they're out of sync (power factor less than 1), it's like a clumsy dance, and the electricity doesn't work as efficiently.
For a business, poor power factor means you're not using your electrical power efficiently. You might be paying more for electricity than you need to because some of it is wasted. It's like paying for a full orchestra but only getting half the music.
This inefficiency can lead to higher electricity bills, wasted energy, and sometimes even penalties from utility companies. Plus, it can strain your electrical equipment, leading to more maintenance costs and shorter lifespans for your machinery.
So, in simple terms, good power factor means efficient electricity use and lower bills, while poor power factor means wasted energy and higher costs for your business.
Demand Response (To replace Voltage Optimisation)
Battery Energy Storage – Load Shedding/Shifting
Imagine you have a big, rechargeable battery at your business. During times when electricity is cheap and plentiful, like at night when nobody's using much, you charge up that battery. Then, when electricity gets expensive or when the grid is stressed, like during a hot summer day when everyone's blasting their AC, instead of drawing power from the grid, you use the electricity stored in your battery.
So, battery storage for demand response is like having a backup power source that kicks in when you need it the most. It helps you save money by using cheaper electricity to charge up the battery and then using that stored power during peak times when electricity is more expensive or when there's high demand on the grid.
It's kind of like having a savings account for electricity – you store it up when it's cheap, and then you use it when you need it, saving you money in the long run and helping out the grid when it's under strain.
This form of load shedding is an option for businesses who lack sufficient roof space for a complete solar energy solution but still wish to reduce energy costs. This form of battery storage can be implemented as the sole cost-saving solution for a business or integrated into a comprehensive strategy for cost-savings and environmental impact offsetting.
Contact our friendly and skilled team today to take control of your business energy needs.