Electronic control relies on the interconnection of the electromechanical installations within a building or an industrial facility with a central electronic control unit so that the automatic control of the installations is conducted from a main computer. However, the most crucial and complex part is the development of operation algorithms that need to be customized for each particular application.
Energy efficiency is the outcome of effective control of the operation time and method of the electromechanical equipment. For instance, lighting can be controlled by photocells or by time schedule in all common areas of a building. Additionally, electronic control can be provided for all types of pumps, HVAC, hot water production, and more. For combined energy systems, electronic control is extremely crucial, as it determines the main and auxiliary sources of energy based on demand and availability.
Electronic control systems provide the option of generating graphical representations with the use of a computer for easy supervisory control of the installations and for direct detection of any potential malfunctions. Consequently, this leads to significant reduction of costs associated with maintenance, as well as to prompt detection of potential failures that may lead to damages and/or major loss of revenue caused by equipment downtime at production lines in industrial facilities or cause negative publicity to a hotel by displeased clients.
Essentially, an electronic control system constitutes the heart of a comprehensive energy management system and can offer in total considerable energy savings in relation to electrical energy, as well as consumption of liquid or gas fuels, and at the same time upgrade the quality of operations within an industrial facility or hotel establishment. Energy savings can reach up to 30% of the total energy demand. The success of the system depends primarily on the proper design and parameterization that shall facilitate the system’s reliable operation and provide the maximum possible energy efficiency; and also on the selection of reliable software, control sensors, and supplementary electrical and electronic equipment.
SYCHEM S.A. has undertaken over the years more than 40 major electronic control and remote monitoring projects for large industrial facilities and hotel establishments. Several of these systems include more than 2.000 data points. Such projects can be particularly demanding, with rigorous performance reliability requirements of energy systems that use renewable energy sources and the achievement of measurable and challenging energy goals.
