4th Quarter 2010Electrical switching & drive systems & components
Information supplied by Varispeed
Make energy saving your business with Yaskawa drives.
In recent years the efficient use of energy has become recognised as an important and cost-effective way of meeting the need for future sustainable development. World energy consumption has risen by 45% since 1980 and is projected to be 70% higher again by 2030. Authorities around the world are calling for more energy savings in existing and new structures.
Locally, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) and the Department of Minerals and Energy (DME) are planning to implement new tariffs with a view to effect and encourage a 12% overall reduction in energy consumption by 2015. In addition, the decision was made to penalise users who do not reach these prescribed energy savings.
A variable speed drive (VSD) is a system for controlling the rotational speed of an AC electric motor by controlling the frequency of the electrical power supplied to the motor. VSDs are used in a wide range of applications to control the speed of fans and pumps in various systems. Companies that consume large amounts of electricity can no longer ignore the benefit of installing variable speed drives, particularly on their fan, pump and compressor applications.
Varispeed, a division of Hudaco, is a specialist supplier of products that control, monitor and regulate the speed of standard AC motors. The company has a wide range of automation products especially selected for reliability which offer solutions to motion control problems.
Varispeed also works closely with its clients to find energy saving solutions that are viable in today’s marketplace. The company understands that reducing energy consumption is not only about saving money, but also about saving the environment. Its flagship range of Yaskawa variable speed drives can contribute to this goal. They have a number of advantages:
* They reduce fan noise and duct rumble.
* They reduce current during motor startup, lowering demand charges.
* They are less expensive to maintain than mechanical controls.
* The inherent soft-start function reduces wear and tear on motors, sheaves, belts, couplings, pump impellors and other system components.
* They provide accurate and repeatable control, eliminating the need for frequent readjustments.
Varispeed also offers a free audit service to show companies just how much can be saved. A sales engineer from the Varispeed team will demonstrate how payback periods for installing drives are usually less than two years and in some instances can even be less than a year.
In addition the company’s website www.varispeed.co.za has free energy savings software available for download which is very easy to use. The worksheet allows calculation of energy savings for centrifugal fans and pumps, and compares variable speed drive performance to other methods of volume control based on motor output.
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