Are there benefits to AdaptiVolt™ other than conservation?

Yes there are. These benefits include:

PF Analysis
Equipment Loading
Demand Analysis
Outage Management
Power Quality
Record of System Performance
Optimizing the Placement of Voltage Regulators
Extended Electrical Equipment Life

To better understand these benefits, we need to begin with a review of the data that is captured by the AdaptiVolt™ system. The following parameters are collected for user analysis (with one optional data point to be discussed below).

Energy Flow (including reactive flow):

Energy flow out of the substation (total of the individual feeders).
Energy flow into each feeder.

Power Factor:

PF for the total substation (total of the individual feeders).
PF for each individual feeder.
Leading/lagging components in each individual feeder.

Demand:

Time and magnitude of the peaks for substation.
Time and magnitude of the peaks for each feeder.
Correlation of peaks to degree-days (temperature data needs to be from an external source).

There are options available on any AdaptiVolt™ system:

Presently there is one data slot in the system that can be set at the customer’s discretion to bring back one additional data element. This could be A phase current, or C phase harmonics, or another parameter within the system.
The system has the option to page a utility employee for certain conditions that are established by the utility.
The system has the ability to share information with a PCS UtiliData SCADA system. The addition of hardware and software to form a fully functional SCADA system is greatly reduced when an AdaptiVolt™ system is installed and operational.

Added Benefits:

With the operational AdaptiVolt™ systems installed to date, we have observed several added benefits from system. They are summarized below.

On one substation with four feeders, power factor is rather bad on several feeders. It varies from 68% to 117% depending on load. The overall PF for the substation is in the neighborhood of 94% to 95%. Resolution of PF would save losses, avert PF penalties from the supplier, and may delay the need to upgrade equipment to cover high currents.

In conjunction with "name plate" data on the conductors and other equipment, it may be worthwhile to review system loads and upgrade hardware on some of the more heavily loaded circuits. For example, a feeder that requires high source voltage to maintain the end of line voltage may benefit from upgrading the conductor size. This would reduce losses and improve power system performance.

Demand on the system at peaks may exceed the supplier’s criteria. Demand control (which is an option to AdaptiVolt™) could be used to reduce demand, save associated losses, delay the need to upgrade equipment to cover peak demand, and avert demand penalties.

AdaptiVolt™ monitors feeder voltage and can test for the presence of an outage. When the voltage drops below a preset value (user settable at perhaps 90 volts), the indication is an outage is occurring. Since we monitor voltage on a per phase basis, the system will detect single-phase outages. Knowing the extent of an outage is one of the first steps in a progressive outage management plan. One option available with AdaptiVolt™ is to have the utility personnel paged at the time of an outage, resulting in nearly instant notification. For must utilities, outage management and outage minimization are important issues.

Monitoring system voltage is one step to assuring good power quality. With the proliferation of PC's and other digital devices, short outages or drops in voltage can cause serious situations for consumers of electric energy. A progressive utility can use AdaptiVolt™ to monitor and maintain power quality.

Maintaining a record of voltages can be used to verify system performance. Should litigation occur against a utility, they will have a detailed record of voltage to defend their position. While this does not occur often, failure to prevail on even occasional litigation can cost utilities many thousands of dollars. The voltage and outage data derived from the voltage can be used by a utility at the time of hearing for rate increases, etc. In many cases, "public utility commissions" are requiring proof or performance of the utility (SAIDI, SAIFI, MAIFI, CAIFI, etc.) before granting a rate increase.

The AdaptiVolt™ data can also help optimize the placement of voltage regulators. On one feeder an AdaptiVolt™ system was installed on, the mid-line voltage regulator was located near the source for that feeder. Most of the energy on the feed is consumed past the regulator.

In addition to the above benefits, lowering voltage can actually extend the life of electrical equipment. The life of equipment such as water heater elements, electric lights, etc. is often lengthened when using lower operating voltages. Inductive devices are often over-excited with high voltage, again reducing their efficiency and shortening their life. Expensive distribution equipment such as underground cables can also be damaged with high voltage.

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