Plug Load Control
Realize Untapped Energy Savings
"Convia-enabled" Wiremold products target an often overlooked savings opportunity by offering total control and monitoring of your office plug loads as well as lighting loads throughout an entire facility. Convia enabled Wiremold products can help your organization to avoid waste, curb needless CO2 emissions, and save money by shutting down plug loads when a space is unoccupied.
Plug load control is an integral part of a comprehensive energy management strategy. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that office plug load represents 26% of energy use in commercial offices. Powering down non-essential devices when a space is not occupied can save companies up to 20% of annual energy use.
Reduce Phantom Load
As companies increasingly rely on employee mobility for computing and communications, portable power is more essential than ever. Mobile technology is replacing many products that were once solely powered by an AC wall outlet. A full one-fifth of all computer sales are laptops. Digital cameras and PDAs are the preferred choice over film-based cameras and paper organizers. Obviously, these devices require energy from the AC grid in order to be recharged, but it is only recently being recognized that many of them likely consume the majority of their annual energy in low power modes when the battery is not being charged.
Battery chargers that are left plugged in still draw power, even when the battery has been fully charged. Termed “phantom load,” the energy drawn by dormant devices from an electrical outlet can represent up to 5% of a facility’s overall power usage at any given time, and adds up to more than $3 billion in annual energy costs in the U.S. [1]
Further, according to Building Owners and Managers Association International (BOMA), more than $1 billion a year is wasted in U.S. companies alone on electricity for computer monitors that are left on when they aren’t even in use. [2]
Individualized Intelligent Workstations
In a well-designed office setting, smart workstations can honor personal preferences and also be environmentally-friendly and economically sound. The U.S. Energy Information Administration has estimated that in 2006, office equipment and miscellaneous items together consumed some 640 billion kilowatt hours of energy, representing more than 35 million tons of CO2 emissions. Depending on geography and climate, an individual’s personal work space may include a number of devices that require power: PCs & monitors, peripherals such as fax machines or printers, cell phone chargers, task lighting, and individual climate controls each require seemingly small amounts of electricity to operate.
Break the numbers down, however, and the cost of powering each of these devices adds up. For example, in a 100,000 square foot space, a single 1500-watt space heater, used only 20% of the time for six months, can produce up to 125 pounds of CO2 emissions a year. A standard PC and monitor in the same space, powered and used all day, produces 161 pounds. And a simple desk lamp emits 69 pounds of CO2. By adding each these devices together and multiplying by the number of workstations in a building, a clear picture of total energy costs emerges.
Convia-enabled workstations let individuals control their environments while they are at their desks and give facility managers options for reducing energy waste, offsetting CO2 emissions, and re-capturing significant savings while a space is not being used. When an occupancy sensor determines the worker has left the room, the Convia system can shut off plug loads, power down light levels, and reset thermostat settings. Pre-programmed power sweeps can further reduce electrical drawdown, especially on weekends and after-hours when electronics are simply not in use.
Integrated Energy Management
In addition to plug load control, Convia technology can expertly integrate a facility's power delivery and all of their energy management strategies (including lighting, HVAC set points, and occupancy and daylight harvesting sensors) into one easy-to-manage platform. The “Convia-enabled” Wiremold offering provides a truly integrated control solution for end-to-end power applications.
For example, the US Green Building Council (USGBC) utilizes the Convia system to reduce energy consumption throughout their entire facility. The installation employs occupancy sensors, daylight harvesting sensors, plug load control, and HVAC set point management. Convia contributes to the USGBC’s objective of reducing energy consumption by up to 70% below ASHRAE standards in some areas of the building.
Take this opportunity to initiate these kinds of extensive energy savings in your facility. From individual environments to total building control, innovative power solutions with Convia Controls are just a click away.
[1] Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Study. Alan Meier. 1998
[2] National Insulation Association
