FAQ
In layman's terms, can you tell me how GET saves energy
GET saves energy by reducing the wasted energy all over a facility. Motors, lighting systems, wiring, mechanical terminations, distribution panels, protective devices, transformers, switch gear, and all end of circuit equipment experience a variety of resistance. These inefficiencies combine to create an average wattage loss in a typical facility of more than twenty percent (20%) of the total demand power. GET works to identify and calculate the sum of the individual contributing loss components and then provide the corrective measures required.
Will GET’s work disrupt my business?
GET has designed a set of rules that have served us and our clients very well over the years. One of these rules is that we never apply any power treatment equipment in series with any environmental or production loads or circuits in a building. We simply do not want to face the liability of causing these loads to stop operating, should any of our equipment malfunction. Also, series applied Power Quality Products are notoriously inefficient, electrically, and generally cost more money to power them than they save on an electric bill.
Another rule that GET adheres to is that we ensure none of our work will cause any harmful side effects to your current electrical distribution system. If there is even the slightest risk of introducing a new electrical problem into a client system with a particular treatment, or if our experience does not extend to give us confident solutions for a particular situation, we make the simple decision to not treat that load or circuit.
Because of GET's uniquely simple approach to electrical treatments, and from the time-honed installation friendliness of all of our custom products, it is a rare instance when your equipment must be off-line for more than a few minutes to complete one of our installations. When a 24-hour 7-day work schedule is in effect, we even arrange for our installations to occur around your already scheduled preventative maintenance shutdowns. Our goal is not to interfere with your business or personnel in the slightest while we perform an installation, or in the years after that installation has been completed.
What is this "Treatment Equipment" that you will apply in my business, and how does it work?
Generally, we install Reactive and Harmonic Current Correction, along with a variety of different voltage control devices, throughout your facility to reduce the total amperage and wattage demanded through your entire electrical distribution system. We decide exactly what equipment to treat, at which locations, and to what values only after we have performed a complete on-site data collection and system mapping effort.
How do you prove that the systems you install are actually saving money?
GET conducts a comprehensive analysis of your facility’s entire electrical distribution system. One of the most crucial aspects of our analysis is the Measurement and Verification Process. When we plan a Measurement and Verification Process, we take into consideration predictability, measurability, and the likely impact of all plausible factors, including (but not limited to) plant throughput, man hours, machine hours, plant equipment intensity and schedule, occupancy levels, and weather. We correlate the consumption and production data over a few years prior to the installation of the GET System. In order to determine the savings, it is imperative that we get the various product mixes for each product for as many months as possible, because the longer the period, the more accurate the verification. We have access to software applications that find and define the relationships between a facility's electrical consumption and any of several sets of monthly statistics that indicate a degree of load and usage of the facility.
Our savings Verifications Process is based on the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP). This standard of measurement is endorsed by the Department of Energy (http://www.evo-world.org). IPMVP was established by a network of energy professional and national organizations from over 25 countries for the purpose of standardizing the methods by which energy conservation projects are measured and verified. Our Measurement and Verification process is reviewed and finalized by the Certified Measurement Verification Professional (CMVP), one of only 900 in the entire world.
How can GET guarantee the savings they have promised?
GET firmly stands behind the entire course of a project, from design, to installation, to on going savings verification and customer service. We stand 100% behind our work and each project is guaranteed to meet or exceed the projected ROI target. Each system that GET designs and installs is backed by a performance guarantee with EPAC (Energy Project Assurance Corporation) which is financially insured by Lloyds of London.
What financial help can I get from the Small Business Administration?
The Small Business Administration (SBA) generally works through approved banks and have pretty significant paperwork requirements that start with a business plan. If you go that route, or any financing route for that matter, the business plan is extremely important. The good news about the SBA is that they have the money to loan. The bad news is that they are the government, and react very slowly. I would look at them, but I would also try and find money through banks, credit unions, or even a private lender, too. This articlehereis a good starting point.
Why should I be concerned about low Power Factor?
A low Power Factor means that you are not utilizing the electrical power that you are paying for. A high Power Factor means that electrical power is being used effectively, while a low Power Factor indicates poor use of electrical power. Poor use of electrical power results in lost energy that is converted to heat and introduces another undesired load to your Air Conditioning System. Another disadvantage to low Power Factor is what is called a Power Factor penalty. This is a charge assessed from your electric company for power inefficiencies incurred in the electrical operation of your facility.
What can I do to improve the Power Factor?
The simplest way to improve the Power Factor is to add Power Factor Correction Capacitors to the Inductive Components in your electrical system. Power Factor Capacitors act as Reactive Current Generators and must be properly matched to each component so as to not overcorrect the problem, such that the KVAR of the motor is approximately the KVAR of the Power Factor Capacitor. By providing the proper amount of Reactive Current to each component, the Apparent Efficiency of the Component is improved, i.e. a higher Power Factor, and the total amount of Current your system draws from the Utility Company is reduced.
What is Power Quality and how can it save me money?
The electric utility company or generator system is tasked with supplying the facility with a steady source of electrical power. This entails a predictable and stable voltage, a predictable and stable frequency, and a dependable and steady source of maximum current. Any deviation from these three targets, at your supply point or inside your facility, is a deviation from the ideal, and this is referred to as a "Power Quality" problem. Of course, the presence of each of these three factors at your supply and inside all points of your electrical system is considered Perfect Power Quality.
Fact: No facility has Perfect Power Quality. In actuality, within today's increasingly complex electrical systems, power quality is an often overlooked and costly element. There is a widely held myth that poor power quality has no cost, so long as there are no obvious, clearly seen manifestations, such as tripping breakers, burning of equipment or electronics, or erratic production operations; however, the same variations from Perfect Power Quality that cause these problems in sufficient magnitude also cost money when at smaller, less obvious values, even if there are no overt "problems."
Electronic and Motor Loads are regularly damaged and affected by Poor Power Quality and create the greatest costs. Unwanted variations in voltage or frequency cause cumulative wear in both types of loads. A weak current source starves these loads of power and creates over-hot operation, which leads to premature failure. For instance, computer power supplies should last at least five (5) to ten (10) years before experiencing failure, but do they typically survive that long?
Motors are silent witnesses to the cumulative effect of Poor Power Quality, because of their long operating lifetimes. Often times, motors are simply replaced or repaired as they fail without the cause of the failure being diagnosed. Poor Power Quality issues can cut motor lifetimes in half, or worse. Would you not like to double the operating life of your motors?
What are these "Other" Savings you mention?
These "Other" Savings that were mentioned include motors, light bulbs, ballasts, transformers, panels, switchgear, breakers, starters, controls, wiring, SCRs, diode arrays, switching transistors, and microprocessors all running cooler. Switching Power Supplies become more stable, process and production controls are more accurate and reliable, air conditioning and refrigeration is more effective and reliable, in-house and outside maintenance and repair labor costs decrease, along with equipment repair and maintenance parts, are all additional benefits as well. Other benefits include light bulb and ballast replacement costs decrease, costs to production or process downtime are decreased, computer data is more secure and safe, computer operation is more reliable and stable, communication systems are more reliable and clear of problems, PC screens stop flickering, lights stop flickering, circuit breakers stop tripping, and PLCs and other automated controls stop malfunctioning.
All of these "side benefits" are included with a GET’s system installation. How much would this save your company?
Why and how do we apply Surge Supression to a Facility?
The direct benefit of applying Surge Surpression is the reduction of the cumulative effect of transients to sensitive electronic equipment. This, in turn, translates to increased reliability and reduced production time. To get these benefits, the TVSS must be installed at the subpanels, on the load side of the main breaker. Please note that the TVSS is sized according to the Voltage of that panel, not its Current.
Can we treat non-linear loads, such as variable speed drives, welders, and DC motors?
Yes, we can treat non-linear loads, but we need to get the following actual measurements from the line side of your non-linear load before we can: Voltage, Amperage, THD Current, THD Voltage, kW, and KVAR.