Data Logger Uses in Power Conservation

                                                                                         

In the current climate of increasing fuel and power costs and worries over the environmental impact of burning fossil fuels many organizations are using data logger systems to measure their energy consumption.

The use of data logger equipment in energy management systems comes into two main categories:

Data Logger use for energy measurement
Along with a profile of temperature data in key work areas it is vital to measure actual energy used to heat these areas. Heating systems can be fitted with various types of data logger to measure KWH, gas, and oil usage, and inlet and outlet temperatures. There are many types of data logger systems available for this function. The main specification for a data logger to be used in these applications are:
1) Multi channel inputs – the data logger should be capable of accepting inputs from as number of sensors ( temperature, flow, KWH etc. )
2) Different input types – the data logger should be able to measure inputs from thermocouples, PT100 sensors, 4-20mA signals from flow meters, pulse outputs from flow meters and kilowatt hour meters.

Data Logger use for Environmental Monitoring
To asses the efficiency of a heating system air temperature must be measured throughout a building. This can be achieved using small temperature data logger units placed in main work areas, warehouses and offices. Information will normally be downloaded from the data logger on a monthly or weekly basis and collated into a single data base. Outside weather conditions may also be recorded by a data logger connected to a weather station to provide a complete picture of ambient conditions

What data logger should you use for your energy conservation program? The type of data logger best suited will depend on a range of factors. Does the data logger system need to cover a large site such as a factory or hospital or a relatively small site with only a few rooms? Can the information from the data logger be easily downloaded on site, or is the data logger in a remote location where access is difficult? Does the data logger need to be battery powered, or is local power available? Does the data logger need to publish data to a web page or send data to a remote server?

A good data logger system can provide a platform for ongoing analysis of energy conservation and the effectiveness of energy management strategies. Some data logger systems are able to collect data from sensors in the building heating system as well as environmental data. GPRS data logger systems can collect data from sites spread over a wide area, and across national boundaries. Web enabled data logger units can publish data to a website enabling easy worldwide access. This is useful for multi national organizations who require global energy management strategies.

If a data logger is effectively used as part of an energy management system the equipment costs can be recovered in a relatively short period from the savings made.
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About the author:
Jim Furness is CEO of Omniinstruments Ltd, specialists in data logger and other instrumentation solutions such as ultrasonic flow meter.

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