Anglian Water - Diss Sewage Treatment Plant

Anglian Water Diss – powerPerfected
Anglian Water’s Diss sewage treatment plant, as part of the largest water company in the UK, contributes to one of the most energy intensive regional consumers, c.a. 700GWh per annum. Since 2006 Anglian Water has strove to reduce its carbon footprint through optimisation and innovation

The Challenge, the solution and the savings. A snapshot.
Like all sewage treatment plants, due to a heavy load of motors and pumps, there is a large scope for energy savings through Voltage Power Optimisation (VPO)^® Once properly evaluated, on 30th July 2008 a 210kVA unit was installed, instantly reducing demand from all relevant equipment, the savings from which are shown below.

Topline results, technically speaking
We were delighted to see an 8.2% reduction in average kWh consumption based on an analysis normalising for rotor run time. Since there are periods during which consumption will be higher, a fair analysis takes this into account; otherwise other factors could be passed off as savings. This optimisation of supply also results in a per annum reduction of 32½tonne in CO₂ and c.a. £6,000 in savings. powerPerfector technology has made sure that the site operates more efficiently, benefits from improved power quality and is protected against transients (power spikes) of up to 25kV. All this was with a minimum of disruption due to a carefully planned shutdown and installation, carried out over a single weekend. With absolutely no moving parts, the powerPerfector units need no maintenance – beyond the statutory 5 year checks required of all electrical equipment.

Voltage Power Optimisation (VPO)^®. The less obvious benefits

Reduced maintenance, longer life
All electrical equipment has an optimum voltage at which it works best. A powerPerfected supply delivers that optimum and reduces the strain on your electrical equipment, leaving it to work more reliably and for longer.

Better quality power supply
Some things you may have accepted for years, but product faults can turn out to be caused by a poor quality power supply. For instance, the life of incandescent light bulbs is almost doubled when the supply voltage is optimised. Now imagine that in relation to an IT network or an expensive piece of manufacturing equipment.

Missing the penalty kick
Power factor penalty charges – which are now uncapped in the UK – can be avoided if your power factor is above .95. If your power factor is at around 0.9 at the moment, powerPerfector could remove your exposure to these charges by improving the electrical efficiency of your site.

Lower harmonic distortion and reduced neutral currents
powerPerfectors are able to filter harmonics on the mains incomer. Harmonic distortion is on the increase and can lead to random failures of electronic equipment – particularly computers.

Protection
Transients – very brief spikes in voltage from the grid – of up to 25,000V are eliminated by powerPerfector. Transients at this level can cause catastrophic damage to equipment, but smaller, more common transient events will also shorten the life expectancy of electrical equipment over time.