Electricity is more than just a convenience; it is an essential prerequisite to conducting business. With financial advancement and a growing preference for green building technologies, the design landscape in India is fast changing.

Buildings play a key role in our impact on the environment. Going green—using natural resources wisely, while reducing the impact of human activity on the environment—means more than just being environmentally responsible. Today, it makes good business sense, too. Just as 21st-century businesses created value by connecting historically disparate activities such as purchasing and logistics into a single supply chain management discipline, businesses today have an opportunity to improve their performance through energy management. Managing energy for optimal utilisation is a challenging task. However, companies across the globe are now offering many such solutions. Energy management implies a holistic approach to managing the complete electrical power system, whether it is for a manufacturing facility, university campus, healthcare centre, data centre, geographically dispersed office buildings, retail stores, residences or any other location where electricity must function efficiently and without interruption.

Green buildings involve the implementation of the following principles:
􀁘 Increasing the effectiveness of buildings and their sites in terms of usage pertaining to water, energy and materials

􀁘 Reducing the impact of buildings on human health by providing better indoor environment quality (IEQ).

As electricity powers so many household and commercially applicable devices that are extremely sensitive to the smallest power fluctuations, the reliability of power has become a critical concern. Minute interruptions or minor voltage sags can impact an array of activities, wasting workers’ time, stranding customers and bringing business to an abrupt halt. The cost of such failures to businesses is huge. Today, builders are becoming more aware about the durable cost reductions created by more proficient methods of energy use and the lessening or even absolute removal of toxins from building materials.

The electric power system in most enterprises has evolved over time to support ever-changing and increasing power requirements and incorporate state-of-the-art technology. Buildings incorporate a wide variety of electrical distribution and power-protection equipment and often a plethora of device-specific monitoring systems. Managing these resources in a fragmented way rather than as a unified company asset results in inefficiency and a higher chance of power quality problems. Eaton’s PowerChain MSpecialised management solutions deliver on these benefits and offers an array of valuable advantages, including a single point of accountability, improved life-cycle management, and many more. This new management paradigm encompasses a host of innovative power solutions that directly address an organisation’s critical power needs for greater reliability, operating cost efficiencies, effective use of capital, safety and risk mitigation.

Here are some power management products, services and information management tools that can help buildings qualify for 27 of the 69 LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) credits available through the US Green Building Council (USGBC):

Automatic transfer switches: Automatic transfer switches are reliable and compact assemblies that transfer essential loads and electrical distribution systems from utility power to green alternative energy generating sources such as wind turbines, solar photovoltaic panels and fuel cells.

Busway: Building an electrical distribution system with a busway saves energy, as compared to using cables. Busways that are sized to carry the same current as cables will have lower losses and can also be reconfigured easily as needs change. A busway uses less copper and steel than cables and conduits, and wastes comparatively less material because it can be built according to the required length.

Harmonic mitigating transformers: Specially designed transformers reduce harmonic currents that disrupt the flow of useful electricity in a circuit. Fewer harmonics means more overall efficient energy consumption.

Paralleling switchgear: Paralleling switchgear manages the critical transition from utility power to onsite power sources. This makes it practical to use Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems that take advantage of otherwise wasted heat energy or onsite power sources that run on alternative biomass fuels.

Lighting controls: Lighting control systems turn off the lights when a space is empty and reduce dependence on artificial lighting when natural light is sufficient. These systems typically reduce lighting energy consumption by 10–30 per cent.

Circuit-breakers: Circuit-breakers save more energy as compared to fused disconnects because they use less watts for the same ratings. Additionally, circuit-breakers can be reset after they trip, while fuses must be replaced and discarded in compliance with special disposal procedures.

Power factor correction capacitors and filters: Capacitors and filters lower energy costs by supplying reactive power to loads such as HVAC and elevators. This reduces energy loss, minimises greenhouse gas emissions, decreases energy consumption and extends equipment life through improved power quality.

Motor controls: A variable frequency drive (VFD) adjusts a motor’s speed to closely match output requirements, resulting in typical energy savings of 10–50 per cent. Soft-start motor controls lower the demands on a motor during start-up, conserving energy and extending the life of the mechanical system.

Software and meters: Meters detect and analyse potentially costly power quality problems, as well as monitor energy consumption and efficiency in real time throughout a building. Software aggregates information into understandable charts and graphs that allow users to easily identify energy-saving opportunities.

Uninterruptible Power System (UPS): UPSs achieve high efficiency, and at typical low loading levels, result in 50 per cent less power loss.

Energy audits: Wasteful energy patterns in total consumption from all sources—electricity, gas, steam and compressed air—can be detected. More efficient solutions that shrink energy use can then be recommended. Coordination studies can optimise electrical system protection with the most efficient use of resources.

Integrated Facilities Systems (IFS): An IFS reduces both floor space and the material needed for power systems, as compared to traditional installations. The space-saving switchboard structure requires 40 per cent less electrical room space, resulting in more room for tenants or less site disturbance. By using less copper and steel, an IFS delivers a sustainable solution.

The sustainability commitment needs to be long-term. Enterprises should compulsorily adopt power quality, distribution and control solutions that increase energy efficiency and improve power quality, safety and reliability. Power trends today are moving towards a future dominated by energy management solutions, necessitating the use of green products and services such as energy audits and real-time energy consumption monitoring.

The author is General Manager-SAARC and South East Asia, Electrical Group, Eaton Corporation