What Is a Power Monitor?
Power monitors are devices that monitor power consumption in real time to save energy, primarily to reduce environmental impact and cut costs.
Continuous monitoring of the target system to determine its power consumption in real time leads to energy savings for facilities.
It enables facility operators to know when power consumption is high by comparing it with the system’s operating data.
Uses of Power Monitors
Power monitors are used to measure power consumption over time.
Power monitors are used in industries such as manufacturing, mining, electricity, gas, and heating, and by places of business such as department stores, hotels, schools, hospitals, office buildings, government offices, amusement parks, convenience stores, fast food restaurants, family restaurants, and fitness clubs.
Power monitors can measure power (active, apparent, reactive); integrated power (active, apparent, regenerative, reactive); optional integrated active power; instantaneous, maximum, and minimum voltage values; instantaneous and maximum current values; power factor, and frequency.
Power monitors have a wide measurement range, from watts (W) to megawatts (MW).
Power monitors have two power integration pulse outputs to measure active power and regenerative or reactive power.
Power monitors also offer a full range of communication functions, including RS-485 communication, MODBUS, PC Link, UPM01 protocol, and 920 MHz radio communication.
Power monitors provide powerful support for energy conservation analysis and can measure 15 different power elements, including integrated power consumption, in a single unit, which is also available in a compact type.
Power monitors are also compatible with 440 V and 3-phase 4-wire systems. Various measured data can be transmitted to personal computers and other devices via communication, and pulse output of accumulated power is also possible.
Some power monitors use a dedicated 5A current transformer (CT), which can detect the secondary side current from the CT used in the existing meter. Because existing CTs can be used, there is no need to install new CTs, and installation costs can be reduced without cutting power lines.