GAMBICA launches VSD energy savings calculator
01/08/2011 GAMBICA Association
~ Easy to use calculator predicts return on investment ~GAMBICA has launched a simple calculator that estimates the energy savings that installing a variable speed drive (VSD) on a relevant application can achieve. GAMBICA, the national organisation that represents the interests of the instrumentation, control, automation and laboratory technology industries in the UK, launched the product on behalf of the members of its variable speed drives group.
The free calculator allows potential buyers to make an informed decision before purchasing a VSD for their application. It comes in the form of an easy to use Microsoft Excel file and is available to download from GAMBICA's website.
The new VSD energy saving calculator is intended as a first-pass indication tool to help decide if a VSD will bring energy savings to the application. The calculator can also help estimate what payback period can be expected, making it clearer that a VSD represents a guaranteed investment that will reduce energy bills by more than its cost.
Electric motors consume significant amounts of electricity; estimated to be about two-thirds of all industrial energy use. Even a simple electric motor, costing a few hundred pounds, can be expected to consume many tens of thousands of pounds worth of electricity over its useful lifetime. Variable Speed Drives can help to make significant energy savings by controlling the motor speed, particularly in pump and fan applications.
"Energy saving is currently a high priority on the British and EU agendas and VSDs are gradually being recognised as one of the most important tools for cutting energy costs," explained Steve Brambley, deputy director of GAMBICA. "We hope this new tool will encourage non technical people, particularly in purchasing departments, to embrace the technology," concluded Brambley.
The energy saving calculator can be downloaded for free from the GAMBICA website at http://www.gambica.org.uk/vsdcalculator .
For further information contact: Steve Brambley,
Association for Instrumentation, Control, Automation & Laboratory Technology (GAMBICA), Broadwall House, 21 Broadwall, London SE1 9PL
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7642 8080
Fax: +44 (0)20 7642 8096
e-mail: sbrambley@gambica.org.uk
www: www.gambica.org.uk
Print this articleProcess and Control Today are not responsible for the content of submitted or externally produced articles and images. Click here to email us about any errors or omissions contained within this article.