CLIENT NAME: Automation Electric and Controls Inc. (distributor) SEGMENT: HVAC, Mining PRODUCTS USED: VACON® NXS LOCATION: Alaska

1. www.vacon.com1
ENERGY- AND COST-EFFICIENT VENTILATION
Photo courtesy of STX EuropePhoto by iStockphoto.com/holbinski
ENERGY- AND COST-EFFICIENT
VENTILATION FOR ALASKAN MINE
CLIENT NAME: Automation Electric and Controls Inc. (distributor)
SEGMENT: HVAC, Mining
PRODUCTS USED: VACON®
NXS
LOCATION: Alaska

2. www.vacon.com2
ENERGY- AND COST-EFFICIENT VENTILATION
KEY FACTS OF CLIENT AND END CLIENT:
• Automation Electric and Controls Inc. is a value-added
distributor and integrator of AC drive systems based in Mt.
Vernon, WA, USA.
• A large underground mine located in Alaska.

3. www.vacon.com3
ENERGY- AND COST-EFFICIENT VENTILATION
CHALLENGE:
• The mine currently uses 100 hp (75 kW) motors with soft starters
for the ventilation fans and blowers that provide air to the miles
of underground tunnels and roads that form the mine.
• Powering the motors is costly because energy is very
expensive when hydropower is not available, and this depends
on the annual rainfall. Some years hydropower is available for
seven months and other years only one month.
• Hydropower is delivered via dozens of miles of cables and
costs the mine USD 0.10 (EUR 0.08) /kWh. When hydropower
is not available, the mine has to use local power generated by
diesel generators.

4. www.vacon.com4
ENERGY- AND COST-EFFICIENT VENTILATION
SOLUTION:
• Variable speed AC drives (VFDs) are great
energy savers when used with fans
because of the affinity laws.
• When the first VACON NXS drive was
installed on a test fan, this resulted in
energy savings of 33 kWh an hour! That
translates into annual savings of USD
100,000 (EUR 77,369) for generator power
or USD 28,000 (EUR 21,663) for
hydropower, and that is just for one fan.

5. www.vacon.com5
ENERGY- AND COST-EFFICIENT VENTILATION
SOLUTION:
• With these favorable results from the test fan, approval was
obtained to install VACON AC drives on a large number of the
ventilation fans and blowers in the mine.
• The estimated annual energy cost savings to the mine will
be considerable – and could be enormous, depending on
the power rate they are paying, with the added bonus of an
improved power factor.

6. www.vacon.com6
ENERGY- AND COST-EFFICIENT VENTILATION
TESTIMONIAL:
“The proven track record of the VACON NXS drives and their
easy-to-use interface made them a contender for this project.
The easy startup and successful testing of the first 100 hp
(75 kW) VACON NXS AC drive installed in the mine showed the
excellent quality and level of support provided by Vacon. Thanks
to the energy savings, the cost of the drive was paid back in a
matter of months!”
Bob Alexander,
Partner, Automation Electric
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