Electricity
The Building Control and Energy Efficiency Division has carried out hundreds of projects in the electricity field in general, and very low voltage systems in particular.
In a typical control system, information is received from all the end systems, from main high-voltage and low-voltage panels, subsidiary panels, temperature and flooding sensors, generators, UPS, electricity meters, etc.
The control system is able to receive data both through dry contacts connecting to special controllers or through a communications protocol supplied by the equipment supplier. Connection to equipment through a communications protocol provides more detailed information on the equipment in comparison to connection through dry contacts.
High-voltage panel
It receives power from the electricity company and supplies one or more transformers. The latter supply main switches in subsidiary panels, which in turn supply various consumers.
The information that can be received from each of the panel components:
- Switches: status, selector, grounding status, temperature fault…
- Transformers: faults from transformer protection panel (temperature fault, blower status, etc.)…
Low-voltage main panel
Receives power from high-voltage panel and usually includes several fields: non-essential field, essential field, extremely essential field, UPS field, etc.
Information can be received from each of the switches (status, fault, trip etc.), and possibility of operation of each of the switches and according to preparations in the electricity panel.
Subsidiary panels
Are supplied from main low-voltage electricity panel. In some there is one field and in others several fields according to the panel purpose. As in the other panels, also in these panels full information can be received from each switch and also possibility of operation of loads through schedules.
A schedule system schedules the operations according to the day and time of the week and also depending on holidays. The schedules are installed in controllers and are not dependent on computers; the information is automatically updated from the controllers and the operation continues to be carried out also when the computer is turned off.
Electricity and energy meters
In each electricity panel electricity/energy meters are installed from which electricity information can be received such as voltages, currents, outputs, output doubler, cumulative consumption (kWh), etc. All the information can be transmitted to the control computer. The information can be stored for additional uses e.g., graphs, reports, consumption reports, export of information to Excel/CSV files for use in other systems, etc.
UPS Units
All the UPS systems (for communication rooms, sockets etc.) arrive with a controller that allows monitoring and receipt of information by communications. The information is complete and detailed and usually provides detailed information on each type of fault and every electricity reading provided by the UPS.
Generators
The generators provide power in case of failure of power supply from the electricity company. Depending on the size of the facility, the appropriate generator is supplied that can “maintain” at least the essential systems in the facility: server rooms, critical air-conditioning units, etc. The control system connects to the generator controller and provides complete information on the voltage and current readings, work status, engine revolutions, temperature, oil pressure, generator in automatic etc.
In the case of several generators information can be received from the synchronization controllers, including all the electricity readings.
In many cases a load shedding process is carried out: when the power supply from the electricity company is outed, the generator starts work. Usually, a generator cannot operate a complete facility and therefore only essential and critical systems continue to work. In such a case, the control system carries out load shedding and according to a defined program the nonessential loads are cut off one after the other.
Temperature, humidity, pressure, flooding sensors, etc.
Can be installed in any place required in order to monitor the conditions there.
Every sensor has a possibility of calibration, determining fault thresholds (lower/upper), delays, neutralization of faults, sensor faults (out-of-order, reading stuck, etc.) and graph for monitoring.
