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How to reduce energy consumption of pumping systems in mining by up to 30%Schneider Electric
Pumps and Pumping Equipment consume close to 25% of all energy associated with motor driven loads, and represent more than 50% of all potential energy savings. In mining, pumps are used in multiple process applications, including raw water supply, leach solutions, dewatering, and mine drainage. This presentation provides an overview of various “Pump System” options that can help mining companies reduce energy consumption of Pumping Systems by up to 30%.
Every electrical system needs power as the supply. Power is rated at each and amount of energy is used to accomplish the work. Electrical power is measured in kwhr which is determine by V*I. In the industries high power consumption than the contracted one can lead to severe penalties. Often there are power peak produce by the load co incidence that normally do not work in simultaneously. In order to avoid penalties one solution would be increase in the contracted power according to the maximum resister peak but on contract this will force to pay higher power than it is really needed. Another solution will be avoiding the consumption peaks through a vigilance element that a device of the risk situation or it can disconnect certain noncritical load such as air conditioning compressors lighting and fans. Maximum demand refers to the maximum amount of electrical energy that is being consumed at a given time. The general purpose of maximum demand meter is to monitor and control the maximum power demand in order also can reduced the monthly electricity bill. By using the meter, the user do not have to worry that their electricity bill will increase thus have to pay lot of money on bills. Maximum power demand meter can benefit every user specially factories. The information and also knowledge that been used to produce the meter can benefit the society. Assembly language will be used to design a program for specific purpose which is to monitor and controlling power demand.
Guidelines for Grid-connected Small Scale (Rooftop) Solar PV Systems for Tami...Headway Solar
Official Guidelines for Grid-connected Small Scale (Rooftop) Solar PV Systems for Tamil Nadu.
This document is not a work of Headway Solar (http://headwaysolar.com/) and it has been released here for the benefit of the general public.
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How to reduce energy consumption of pumping systems in mining by up to 30%Schneider Electric
Pumps and Pumping Equipment consume close to 25% of all energy associated with motor driven loads, and represent more than 50% of all potential energy savings. In mining, pumps are used in multiple process applications, including raw water supply, leach solutions, dewatering, and mine drainage. This presentation provides an overview of various “Pump System” options that can help mining companies reduce energy consumption of Pumping Systems by up to 30%.
Every electrical system needs power as the supply. Power is rated at each and amount of energy is used to accomplish the work. Electrical power is measured in kwhr which is determine by V*I. In the industries high power consumption than the contracted one can lead to severe penalties. Often there are power peak produce by the load co incidence that normally do not work in simultaneously. In order to avoid penalties one solution would be increase in the contracted power according to the maximum resister peak but on contract this will force to pay higher power than it is really needed. Another solution will be avoiding the consumption peaks through a vigilance element that a device of the risk situation or it can disconnect certain noncritical load such as air conditioning compressors lighting and fans. Maximum demand refers to the maximum amount of electrical energy that is being consumed at a given time. The general purpose of maximum demand meter is to monitor and control the maximum power demand in order also can reduced the monthly electricity bill. By using the meter, the user do not have to worry that their electricity bill will increase thus have to pay lot of money on bills. Maximum power demand meter can benefit every user specially factories. The information and also knowledge that been used to produce the meter can benefit the society. Assembly language will be used to design a program for specific purpose which is to monitor and controlling power demand.
Guidelines for Grid-connected Small Scale (Rooftop) Solar PV Systems for Tami...Headway Solar
Official Guidelines for Grid-connected Small Scale (Rooftop) Solar PV Systems for Tamil Nadu.
This document is not a work of Headway Solar (http://headwaysolar.com/) and it has been released here for the benefit of the general public.
The Smart Solar Plant is a conventional solar thermal cycle, backed by long-term thermal storage and
electronic power conversion systems, integrating PV generation and electrochemical
storage.
A residential roof top solar system described with different kind of residential load such as fridge, washing machine. Battery charge and discharge cycles also demonstrated with the aforementioned load.
Isolated Wind Hydro Hybrid Generation System with Battery StorageIJMER
In this paper, a new isolated wind- hydro hybrid generation system comprising one squirrel -cage induction generator (SCIG) driven by a variable-speed wind turbine and another synchronous generator driven by constant power hydro turbine feeding three phase four wire local loads is proposed. The system utilizes two back to back connected voltage-source converters (VSCs) with a battery energy storage system at their dc link. The main objective of the control algorithm for the VSC is to achieve control of the magnitude and the frequency of the load voltage. The proposed wind-hydro hybrid system has a capability of bidirectional active- and reactive-power flow, by which it controls the magnitude and the frequency of the load voltage. The proposed electromechanical system is modelled and simulated in MATLAB using Simulink.
The Importance of Energy Storage in Securing the Supply and Maximising Renewa...EMEX
Concerns over the stability of the grid’s supply continue to rise as we move towards a decarbonised future under increasing Governmental pressures and ambitious targets. This includes a magnified importance on renewable generation, which is variable in nature and is being connected to the UK’s energy mix at a quickening pace.
The session provides information on the benefits of energy storage technology and the practical applications for businesses of all sizes as the UK heads towards a decarbonised and sustainable future.
Transforming the Electricity System to Meet Future Demand and Reduce Greenhou...Gruene-it.org
Most of the world’s electricity delivery system or “grid” was built when energy was relatively inexpensive. While minor upgrades have been made to meet increasing demand, the grid still operates the way it did almost 100 years ago—energy flows over the grid from central power plants to consumers, and reliability is ensured by maintaining excess capacity.
The Smart Solar Plant is a conventional solar thermal cycle, backed by long-term thermal storage and
electronic power conversion systems, integrating PV generation and electrochemical
storage.
A residential roof top solar system described with different kind of residential load such as fridge, washing machine. Battery charge and discharge cycles also demonstrated with the aforementioned load.
Isolated Wind Hydro Hybrid Generation System with Battery StorageIJMER
In this paper, a new isolated wind- hydro hybrid generation system comprising one squirrel -cage induction generator (SCIG) driven by a variable-speed wind turbine and another synchronous generator driven by constant power hydro turbine feeding three phase four wire local loads is proposed. The system utilizes two back to back connected voltage-source converters (VSCs) with a battery energy storage system at their dc link. The main objective of the control algorithm for the VSC is to achieve control of the magnitude and the frequency of the load voltage. The proposed wind-hydro hybrid system has a capability of bidirectional active- and reactive-power flow, by which it controls the magnitude and the frequency of the load voltage. The proposed electromechanical system is modelled and simulated in MATLAB using Simulink.
The Importance of Energy Storage in Securing the Supply and Maximising Renewa...EMEX
Concerns over the stability of the grid’s supply continue to rise as we move towards a decarbonised future under increasing Governmental pressures and ambitious targets. This includes a magnified importance on renewable generation, which is variable in nature and is being connected to the UK’s energy mix at a quickening pace.
The session provides information on the benefits of energy storage technology and the practical applications for businesses of all sizes as the UK heads towards a decarbonised and sustainable future.
Transforming the Electricity System to Meet Future Demand and Reduce Greenhou...Gruene-it.org
Most of the world’s electricity delivery system or “grid” was built when energy was relatively inexpensive. While minor upgrades have been made to meet increasing demand, the grid still operates the way it did almost 100 years ago—energy flows over the grid from central power plants to consumers, and reliability is ensured by maintaining excess capacity.
The present study focuses on the development of software (general mathematical optimization model) which has the following characteristics:
• It will be able to find the optimal combination of installed equipment (power & heat generation etc) in a Shopping Mall (micro-grid)
• With multi-objective to maximize the cost at the same time as minimizing the environmental impacts (i.e. CO2 emissions).
• To date, this tool is scarce to the industry (similar to DER-CAM, Homer).
The history of infrastructure design, development and operation in most countries has been that it has occurred in silos. Yet the citizen’s experience of infrastructure is integrated. Realisation that the governance of this integrated experience is badly out of alignment with the needs of developed and developing countries and cities has now caused consideration of how to move to a better set of arrangements.
A SMART Seminar presented by Prof Brian Collins on 13 May 2013. For more information, visit http://goo.gl/MfJ8t
Neuro-symbolic is not enough, we need neuro-*semantic*Frank van Harmelen
Neuro-symbolic (NeSy) AI is on the rise. However, simply machine learning on just any symbolic structure is not sufficient to really harvest the gains of NeSy. These will only be gained when the symbolic structures have an actual semantics. I give an operational definition of semantics as “predictable inference”.
All of this illustrated with link prediction over knowledge graphs, but the argument is general.
Elevating Tactical DDD Patterns Through Object CalisthenicsDorra BARTAGUIZ
After immersing yourself in the blue book and its red counterpart, attending DDD-focused conferences, and applying tactical patterns, you're left with a crucial question: How do I ensure my design is effective? Tactical patterns within Domain-Driven Design (DDD) serve as guiding principles for creating clear and manageable domain models. However, achieving success with these patterns requires additional guidance. Interestingly, we've observed that a set of constraints initially designed for training purposes remarkably aligns with effective pattern implementation, offering a more ‘mechanical’ approach. Let's explore together how Object Calisthenics can elevate the design of your tactical DDD patterns, offering concrete help for those venturing into DDD for the first time!
GraphRAG is All You need? LLM & Knowledge GraphGuy Korland
Guy Korland, CEO and Co-founder of FalkorDB, will review two articles on the integration of language models with knowledge graphs.
1. Unifying Large Language Models and Knowledge Graphs: A Roadmap.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.08302
2. Microsoft Research's GraphRAG paper and a review paper on various uses of knowledge graphs:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/graphrag-unlocking-llm-discovery-on-narrative-private-data/
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 4DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 4. In this session, we will cover Test Manager overview along with SAP heatmap.
The UiPath Test Manager overview with SAP heatmap webinar offers a concise yet comprehensive exploration of the role of a Test Manager within SAP environments, coupled with the utilization of heatmaps for effective testing strategies.
Participants will gain insights into the responsibilities, challenges, and best practices associated with test management in SAP projects. Additionally, the webinar delves into the significance of heatmaps as a visual aid for identifying testing priorities, areas of risk, and resource allocation within SAP landscapes. Through this session, attendees can expect to enhance their understanding of test management principles while learning practical approaches to optimize testing processes in SAP environments using heatmap visualization techniques
What will you get from this session?
1. Insights into SAP testing best practices
2. Heatmap utilization for testing
3. Optimization of testing processes
4. Demo
Topics covered:
Execution from the test manager
Orchestrator execution result
Defect reporting
SAP heatmap example with demo
Speaker:
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
Generating a custom Ruby SDK for your web service or Rails API using Smithyg2nightmarescribd
Have you ever wanted a Ruby client API to communicate with your web service? Smithy is a protocol-agnostic language for defining services and SDKs. Smithy Ruby is an implementation of Smithy that generates a Ruby SDK using a Smithy model. In this talk, we will explore Smithy and Smithy Ruby to learn how to generate custom feature-rich SDKs that can communicate with any web service, such as a Rails JSON API.
Slack (or Teams) Automation for Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Soluti...Jeffrey Haguewood
Sidekick Solutions uses Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Solutions Apricot) and automation solutions to integrate data for business workflows.
We believe integration and automation are essential to user experience and the promise of efficient work through technology. Automation is the critical ingredient to realizing that full vision. We develop integration products and services for Bonterra Case Management software to support the deployment of automations for a variety of use cases.
This video focuses on the notifications, alerts, and approval requests using Slack for Bonterra Impact Management. The solutions covered in this webinar can also be deployed for Microsoft Teams.
Interested in deploying notification automations for Bonterra Impact Management? Contact us at sales@sidekicksolutionsllc.com to discuss next steps.
Software Delivery At the Speed of AI: Inflectra Invests In AI-Powered QualityInflectra
In this insightful webinar, Inflectra explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming software development and testing. Discover how AI-powered tools are revolutionizing every stage of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), from design and prototyping to testing, deployment, and monitoring.
Learn about:
• The Future of Testing: How AI is shifting testing towards verification, analysis, and higher-level skills, while reducing repetitive tasks.
• Test Automation: How AI-powered test case generation, optimization, and self-healing tests are making testing more efficient and effective.
• Visual Testing: Explore the emerging capabilities of AI in visual testing and how it's set to revolutionize UI verification.
• Inflectra's AI Solutions: See demonstrations of Inflectra's cutting-edge AI tools like the ChatGPT plugin and Azure Open AI platform, designed to streamline your testing process.
Whether you're a developer, tester, or QA professional, this webinar will give you valuable insights into how AI is shaping the future of software delivery.
Securing your Kubernetes cluster_ a step-by-step guide to success !KatiaHIMEUR1
Today, after several years of existence, an extremely active community and an ultra-dynamic ecosystem, Kubernetes has established itself as the de facto standard in container orchestration. Thanks to a wide range of managed services, it has never been so easy to set up a ready-to-use Kubernetes cluster.
However, this ease of use means that the subject of security in Kubernetes is often left for later, or even neglected. This exposes companies to significant risks.
In this talk, I'll show you step-by-step how to secure your Kubernetes cluster for greater peace of mind and reliability.
Epistemic Interaction - tuning interfaces to provide information for AI supportAlan Dix
Paper presented at SYNERGY workshop at AVI 2024, Genoa, Italy. 3rd June 2024
https://alandix.com/academic/papers/synergy2024-epistemic/
As machine learning integrates deeper into human-computer interactions, the concept of epistemic interaction emerges, aiming to refine these interactions to enhance system adaptability. This approach encourages minor, intentional adjustments in user behaviour to enrich the data available for system learning. This paper introduces epistemic interaction within the context of human-system communication, illustrating how deliberate interaction design can improve system understanding and adaptation. Through concrete examples, we demonstrate the potential of epistemic interaction to significantly advance human-computer interaction by leveraging intuitive human communication strategies to inform system design and functionality, offering a novel pathway for enriching user-system engagements.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 3DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 3. In this session, we will cover desktop automation along with UI automation.
Topics covered:
UI automation Introduction,
UI automation Sample
Desktop automation flow
Pradeep Chinnala, Senior Consultant Automation Developer @WonderBotz and UiPath MVP
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
Designing Great Products: The Power of Design and Leadership by Chief Designe...
Commercial Building Cogen In Australia
1. Australian cogen challenges feature
Commercial buildings in Australia have not formed an active market for cogeneration
technology – until last year, when one company started to use a particular business model
(against a background of growing demand for ‘greener’ building operation and rising
electricity prices) to change this. Nalin Wickramasinghe writes on progress and the
challenges still to be faced.
Cogen comes to
Australian offices
changing conditions make the technology right
for eastern states
C
ogeneration in general, and commercial building cogen- cooling. This means the overall efficiency of cogeneration is
eration specifically, has had extremely low penetration in much lower as heat needs to be dumped. Whilst there has been
the Australian market. There is approximately 307 MW minor deployment of absorption chillers in the past, issues of
of installed capacity in the state of New South Wales1, most of reliability and very low coefficients of performance (COP) of
which is accounted for by industrial applications, and almost no around 0.5, have made this an unattractive option.
installed capacity in commercial buildings and offices. There
are several reasons for this situation: High capital costs
Australia is a relatively small market for cogeneration equipment
and also a very distant market for equipment manufactured
Energy costs
Historically Australia – eastern states in particular – has had mostly in Europe. This results in a quite high capital cost
very low electricity prices relative to the rest of the world. An of cogeneration plant and equipment as well as ongoing
abundance of cheap coal-fired generation sources in the eastern replacement components.
states of Australia have supported the low pricing levels for For the above reasons, on-site cogeneration as an alternative
decades. As a result, switching to an alternative energy source, energy source has not been cost effective locally.
such as on-site cogeneration, usually means paying a higher rate
for electricity. WHAT HAS CHANGED?
Over the past two to three years, there has been a remarkable
increase in the acceptance of cogeneration in the Sydney
Low cost of environmental compliance
Whilst the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET – commercial building market. The reasons for this are several – a
Federal) and New South Wales Greenhouse Abatement (NGAC combination of regulatory and market changes as well as Cogent
– State) schemes levy environmental charges on electricity, they Energy’s business model.
still have not raised compliance costs to a level where switching
to a cogeneration supply is cost effective. Australia also lagged Rising electricity prices
behind the rest of the world (excluding the USA) in not ratifying New South Wales base contract prices for electricity have
the Kyoto Protocol. increased approximately 20% over the past two years2. The
prolonged drought conditions experienced by the state have
significantly contributed to this increase – water shortages
Climate
Cogeneration has traditionally been well-suited to northern have compelled generators to reduce generation output at
hemisphere climates with long, cold winters and buildings with times. In addition, there is also an impending shortage of
a high heating demand. In Sydney, most commercial buildings generating capacity. In New South Wales the majority of gener-
have insignificant heating demands – most have only a minor ation capacity is state-owned and uncertainty of the sector’s
preheating requirement at the start of the day in midwinter. ownership – potential privatization – has served as a disin-
In general, Sydney commercial buildings require year round centive to investment in new plants.
Cogeneration and On-Site Power Production may–june 2009 | 31
2. Australian cogen challenges
feature
Cogeneration Plant Room
Building air
M Absorption chillers
Chilled Water
conditioning system
Metering
equipment
Building space
M Cogeneration plant
Hot Water
& hot water system
Power grid
MCS control
Building electrical Cogen switch boards
M equipment
distribution system
Electricity
Building main
switch boards
M Substation
Electricity
Control and
Figure 1. Schematic of a typical plant
billing centre
The Australian Government ratified the Kyoto Business model
Cogent Energy uses a business model based on majority
Protocol in late 2007 and has announced the financing of the cogeneration plant. As Cogent is also a licensed
electricity retailer, the building owner is invoiced monthly for
introduction of a carbon emission trading metered energy consumed – both electrical and thermal. The
key benefits of this approach are:
scheme commencing July 2010
n minimal up-front capital outlay for the building owner
n Cogent can achieve economies of scale in equipment
Increasing focus on environmental ratings
Most commercial building owners have found that blue-chip sourcing
corporate tenants increasingly look for premises with high n aggregated natural gas procurement across all projects.
environmental credentials. In particular, major multinationals
who have global corporate objectives in relation to sustainability COGENT ENERGY BUSINESS MODEL
are driven to seek high-rated buildings. This is also the case Cogent is a licensed electricity retailer and owns, operates and
with Government tenants. maintains the plant. The capital cost of the plant is majority
Of particular relevance are the National Australian Built financed by Cogent’s financier, with the contribution from the
Environment Rating System (NABERS, administered by client minimal – usually around 10% for a standard installation.
Department of Environment and Climate Change) and the Cogent invoices monthly for metered energy consumption, both
Green Star rating (administered by the Green Building Council electrical and thermal. The base building (house services) usage
of Australia). Cogeneration systems with integrated absorption is charged to building owner whilst the tenancy usage is charged
chilling (trigeneration) can achieve an increase of up to to individual tenants.
1.5 NABERS stars and almost 1 Green Star. Most blue-chip
tenants look for buildings with 4.5 NABERS stars and 4 or 5 Pricing and contracting
Green Stars. Cogent’s pricing value proposition is ‘competitive energy pricing
The Australian Government ratified the Kyoto Protocol compared to 50% green-blend energy from the grid.’ In New
in late 2007 and has announced the introduction of a carbon South Wales coal-fired grid electricity emits approximately
emission trading scheme commencing July 2010. These moves 1060 kg/MWh while the comparative figure for an on-site
have also created strong expectations of electricity price gas-fired cogeneration plant is 550 kg/MWh. A building owner
increases in the future and cogeneration is seen as an effective would need to purchase 50% green-blend electricity to achieve
way of reducing the liability of emissions associated costs. the latter figure. In addition, there are further benefits resulting
from the displacement of on-site boilers and electric chillers.
Hence Cogent’s offer is very competitive.
Absorption chiller technology
Packaging the cogeneration system with an absorption chiller The supply agreement with the building owner is usually
has significant benefit locally, due to the climate. In the past low a 12-year term, with pricing fixed for the first year. In subse-
reliability and efficiency of absorption chillers have precluded quent years pricing is reviewed using the Wholesale Electricity
their use. More recently COP greater than 1.3 and improved Pricing Index as a reference. At the end of the 12-year term the
absorption chiller technology has resulted in a better package. options available to the client include renewing for a further
32 | may–june 2009 Cogeneration and On-Site Power Production
4. Australian cogen challenges
feature
Mirvac Miller Street – flagship project
Cogent plant at
Mirvac Miller Street
Specifications of the Miller Street trigeneration plant:
In 2008 Mirvac Funds Management embarked on a com-
plete refurbishment of its commercial tower at 101 Miller TECHNICAL OvERvIEW:
• wo 1200 kWe MTU series 4000 gas fired engines
T
Street, North Sydney. A key objective of the refurbishment
with 415V AC alternators
was to achieve a significant uplift in the environmental
• wo 750 kWr Thermax exhaust fired absorption
T
credentials of this 39,000 m2 building. Mirvac wanted to
chillers to convert engine exhaust energy to chilled
achieve both a NABERS and Green Star rating of 5 – an
water energy
ambitious target for a circa 1990 building.
• ne MDE control system to monitor and control
O
Being a retrofit project, Cogent had to fit its plant in to
trigeneration plant
the existing basement plant room – which in itself pre-
• Plant can operate in grid parallel and island mode.
sented a significant engineering challenge. Considerable
modifications to the existing electrical switchboards were SUSTAINABILITY ACHIEvEMENT:
• 5 Green Star building rating
also necessary due to their age. The client’s objectives,
• 5 star NABERS energy rating
in terms of environmental ratings, are well on track and
• 80% (max) energy efficiency
the cogeneration plant is expected to save approximately
• 6000 tonnes of CO2 abated per annum.
6000 tonnes per annum of carbon dioxide.
period or buying out the plant at its depreciated value. Separate chiller capacity ranges from 292–1245 kWt. Engine jacket heat
supply agreements are negotiated with individual tenants. recovery from these engines range from 231–1018 kWt. Control
systems from MDE are used on all the plants.
Plants are configured in parallel import mode with the grid,
Scope of works
In a typical installation, Cogent designs, configures and maintains and are currently sized at approximately 60% of the building’s
plant. The company is responsible for negotiating the natural maximum demand. Energy from the grid is used as top-up.
gas supply contract as well as managing the electricity network Cogent operates the plant during peak periods (typically 15
connection agreement and approvals with network operators. hours per day, Monday to Friday).
Client’s scope includes the provision of suitable plant During the off-peak period the plant switches off and supply
room with ventilation and sound attenuation. The client is also is purely from the grid. Currently, this mode of operation is
responsible for bringing the electrical and thermal distribution the most cost effective. As there is no commercial benefit from
systems and natural gas pipeline to the plant. exporting electricity, it is necessary that plants are sized below
Ownership and responsibility for maintenance of assets the building’s peak so that they can operate at constant duty
is delineated by the plant room – Cogent generally owns and cycle through the day.
maintains what is within the plant room and the client is respon- The plants can also be configured to operate in standby
sible for everything external. This also provides clarity in a (island) mode which provides the building better security of
contractual sense. supply during a grid outage.
As gas engines can only cope with much smaller load steps
in comparison to a diesel generator, correct set up of load
PLANT COMPONENTS
Currently Cogent uses gas reciprocating engines from MTU, with shedding steps on the building’s main switchboard (usually
capacity ranging from 386 kWe to 2 MWe. The corresponding through motorized circuit breakers), is critical in ensuring the
(and matching) Thermax exhaust-fired double-effect absorption standby function works effectively.
34 | may–june 2009 Cogeneration and On-Site Power Production
5. A “SHOVEL - READY”
CLEAN COAL TECHNOLOGY
A Circulating Fluidized Bed power
plant utilizing carbon-neutral
biomass is a great solution for the
environment.
Adding in the right amount of coal
makes it a great solution for reliable
and affordable electricity.
For more information on our exciting
CFB technology and our other earth-
friendly technologies, visit us at
www.fwc.com.
Visit us at Power Gen Europe, Hall 8/Booth R60
6. Australian cogen challenges
feature
Figure 2. Cogent’s Backoffice system – a typical plant status screen
collating consumption data to support reporting for NABERS
REMOTE MONITORING AND CONTROL
and Green Star ratings. As the major motivation for commercial
The cogeneration plant is fully monitored and maintained
building owners in choosing cogeneration is achieving high
by Cogent Energy, which remotely monitors the plant for
environmental ratings, this is a significant feature of the
monthly billing and in-depth performance analysis. The remote
Backoffice system.
monitoring facility is able to monitor numerous parameters of
the engine such as temperatures, pressures, voltages, etc. This
data can be used for live performance monitoring and historical CURRENT PROJECTS
analysis, as well as predictive fault prevention. It is also possible Since formation in late 2006, Cogent Energy has made significant
to remotely start and stop the engine and tweak parameters to progress in developing a distributed network of cogeneration plants.
The company now employs 15 professional staff and has its head
Each site is modelled within the system and office located in Melbourne. The company currently focuses on the
eastern states of Australia, in particular Sydney and Melbourne. To
configured according to the plant installed and date, it has quoted a potential capacity of almost 100 MW across
Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane. The commercial
the level of monitoring required building market in Sydney was the most responsive and Cogent has
installed its first four plants there.
increase the performance of the unit.
The Cogent Energy Backoffice system is intended to allow CHALLENGES AND RISKS
management, engineering and operations staff access to monitor Whilst Cogent’s business model and approach have yielded very
all plants installed on-site. The system consists of a central good progress in developing a network of cogeneration plants,
server and software. Each site is modelled within the system there are many challenges yet to be overcome and risks that
and configured according to the plant installed and the level of need to be managed.
monitoring required. Staff access the Backoffice system on their
laptops and alarm ‘flags’ can be received on PDAs. Grid/network connection
Through the Backoffice system a range of dynamic screens Currently the local electricity network operators have no specific
displaying plant status, single-line diagrams, process and instru- commercial terms applicable to cogeneration plant’s operator in
mentation (P&I) diagrams, etc. can be accessed, allowing the ability terms of demand/capacity charges. Their assessment is based on
to drill down to check plant operating data and characteristics. a site-by-site approach and this misses the overall benefit that
Core functionality in the system also includes gathering and a network of distributed plants brings. Electricity grid operators
Client Building m2 Engines Absorption chillers Commencement
14,000 2 x 0.386 MW 2 x 0.290 MW September 08
Blackmores
39,000 2 x 1.17 MW 2 x 0.75 MW October 08
Mirvac Miller St
40,000 1 x 0.39 MW Nil December 08
Australand
29,000 1 x 0.78 MW 1 x 0.48 MW March 09
Stockland
14,000 1 x 0.78 MW Nil – (heat 0.4 MW) October 09
University of NSW
8,500 1 x 0.39 MW 1 x 0.29 MW July 09
victoria St vIC
Table 1. Projects carried out by Cogent Energy
36 | may–june 2009 Cogeneration and On-Site Power Production
7. Australian cogen challenges feature
need to take a big-picture view of a cogeneration operation and
appreciate the synergies available – the management of grid hot
spots and overall peak demand reduction.
Gas networks
The monopoly owners of gas networks often don’t take a commercial
view of connecting greenfield cogeneration sites, and they tend to
pass on total network expansion and augmentation costs, making
projects unfeasible at times. With greenfield site developments on
the outskirts of the city, there can be a substantial augmentation
cost to connect gas. The gas network owner may often not factor
in the future value of network expansion, thereby allocating all of
the costs to the cogeneration project.
Environmental protection
Currently there is a lack of clarity and consistency in relation to
NOx emissions standards, and the authorities take a rigid view
of cogeneration plants – which tends to frame projects purely
in terms of NOx emission levels with no weighting attached to
the carbon dioxide emissions reductions. The requirement for
selective catalytic reduction could potentially render a project
commercially unfeasible.
Plant sizing
There is risk of over sizing a plant based on projected energy
loads, particularly with a new development. This is compounded
by the parallel import/no-export mode of operation. If a plant is
oversized then there is a risk it may not run efficiently. Currently
there is no commercial value in exporting, as cogenerated
energy does not fetch a premium once exported off site.
Supply of tenancies
Again, there is risk of over sizing a plant if some of the tenants
decide not to take supply from it. Tenants have legal entitlement
to choice of energy supplier and if there is inadequate take up of
cogenerated supply by tenants, it could lead to a scenario where
plant is oversized.
SUMMARY
There has been a great opportunity presented by the move to
reduce commercial building carbon emissions in Australia –
and Cogent Energy has seized this. The company has made
progress with over 5 MW committed in Sydney in the past
two years. Many other opportunities are also currently being
developed. There are still many challenges to be overcome.
Nalin Wickramasinghe is general manager for New South
Wales with Cogent Energy, St Leonards, NSW, Australia.
e-mail: nalin@cogentenergy.com.au
References
1 Cogeneration in NSW – Review & Analysis of Opportunities, Institute
of Sustainable Futures, Sydney, January 2008
2 http://www.d-cyphatrade.com.au
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Cogeneration and On-Site Power Production may–june 2009 | 37