Power Management indispensable in modern electrical installation
Technical managers of hospitals and care institutions face significant challenges. While numerous energy-saving measures must be implemented, the growing use of electronic equipment and rising levels of network interference are placing increasing strain on the reliability of electrical installations.
Electrical power supply in hospitals
Hospitals have experienced a sharp increase in electronic medical devices over recent decades. CT scanners, MRI scanners, X-ray equipment, dialysis machines and surgical robots are now integral to healthcare provision. The development of more advanced devices continues to enhance productivity and reduce the average nursing time. At the same time, hospitals are implementing increasing numbers of energy-saving measures, such as solar panels, LED lighting and frequency-controlled drives.
However, both energy-saving devices and medical equipment contribute to pollution of the power grid, which negatively affects power quality. Simultaneously, many of these devices are becoming increasingly sensitive to the very disturbances they cause. This has significant consequences for the stability of the electrical power supply, including:
- An increased risk of failure of (parts of) the installation due to voltage dips and power surges;
- Failure of emergency operations caused by a capacitive grid, harmonic distortion, and unevenly loaded phases;
- More frequent failures and higher maintenance costs due to grid pollution from mechanical installations, medical equipment, LED lighting, and solar panels;
- Greater loading of the neutral conductor as a result of uneven phases and network pollution;
- Increased strain on transformers due to grid pollution and asymmetrical loads;
- A more stringent legal framework and clearer definition of responsibilities regarding the quality of electrical energy.
As a result of these trends, the controllability of electrical power systems is reduced. Systems may fail in emergency power mode, and voltage dips can lead to process interruptions or even the temporary closure of departments. The costs associated with poor power quality are often hidden, typically absorbed within maintenance budgets rather than being recognised as a separate issue.
Quality aspects of voltage and current in energy management systems
Existing energy management systems in care facilities are often integrated with building management systems and primarily focus on energy consumption. As a result, the “health” of the electrical supply and voltage often goes unnoticed. Electrical disturbances and issues with power quality are typically not recorded, meaning the causes of power outages frequently remain unknown. For modern healthcare facilities, this is no longer acceptable.
fortop Automation & Energy Control draws on its extensive experience in critical environments, such as data centres and hospitals, to enhance the availability and stability of voltage and power under all conditions. To achieve this, fortop applies its unique chain of competencies: measure, analyse and improve.
This approach, known as power management, significantly contributes to the reliability and continuity of electrical energy within healthcare facilities. Read more about a good power supply.
The four aspects of power management
Power management is a continuous improvement process of measuring, analysing, and optimising, aimed at preventing failures, reducing energy and maintenance costs, and minimising the impact of any disruptions.
Power management can be divided into four key aspects:
1. Energy Management
Mandatory EED energy audits and increasingly strict government requirements demand continuous insight into energy flows. Making energy consumption visible raises awareness, encourages engagement with energy-saving measures, and provides ongoing insight into their effectiveness. It also enables the allocation of energy costs to subletting tenants. By visualising power throughout the installation, energy losses, standby consumers, and meter connection errors are immediately identified.
2. Load Management
Managers need to understand where the installation can grow without costly expansion. During generator operation, it is essential to know the available power to supply all connected equipment. Harmonic distortion, low power factor (low cos-phi), and unevenly loaded phases place additional strain on the electrical infrastructure. The dynamic behaviour of loads further complicates prediction, requiring millisecond-level insight to ensure reliability.
3. Event management
Voltage dips and power surges can cause failures in part or all of an electrical installation. Timely alarms help reduce downtime by speeding up troubleshooting. By recording dips and peaks with a resolution of 50 microseconds, the causes can be identified and appropriate measures taken to minimise their impact. Advanced analysers enable these timely alerts and facilitate proactive maintenance. Read more about analysers for timely alerts.
4. Power Quality Management
A "healthy" voltage leads to lower maintenance costs, helps prevent breakdowns and saves electrical energy. It also provides insight and a clear division of responsibilities. This is important in liability issues after equipment failure. Voltage quality standards play an important role here. Among other things, it determines whether medical equipment may be connected and whether or not equipment is covered by a warranty.
When implementing energy measurement systems for energy-saving purposes, it is essential to also integrate voltage and current quality monitoring into the measurement concept. This ensures a comprehensive approach to reliable, efficient, and safe electrical management.
Three steps to lower consumption, lower maintenance costs and fewer failures
Power Management is a continuous improvement process of measuring, analysing, and optimising, with the aim of reducing energy consumption, lowering maintenance costs, and minimising the risk of failure.
Step 1: Measuring with Power Analysers
A continuous improvement process requires 24/7 measurement. Only through constant monitoring can trends be identified, energy savings demonstrated, and immediate alarms triggered in the event of incidents.
To implement a measurement system that covers the entire installation, fortop uses a standard blueprint, assigning the most appropriate measurement instrument to each level of the electrical installation. fortop employs Janitza Janitza instruments, renowned for their precision and reliability in high-end applications. With a sampling resolution of 50 microseconds, voltages and currents are captured accurately, ensuring that every disturbance is registered.
fortop distinguishes four measurement levels, each with a dedicated instrument:
- Level 1: Incoming medium-voltage fields – Power Quality Analysers
- Level 2: Low-voltage side of transformers – Power Analysers
- Level 3: Output fields of main distributors – Energy Analysers
- Level 4: Sub-distributors and end-users – DIN-rail Consumption Meters
By measuring across all levels, fortop ensures comprehensive visibility of the electrical network, enabling precise monitoring, fault detection, and energy management.
The choice of an energy meter depends on what you want to measure and how you want the data to be presented. Read more about help choosing the right meter.
Step 2: Monitoring and Reporting with DCEM
DCEM Healthcare Edition was developed to consolidate all measurement data from hospitals and care facilities into a single system. Designed specifically for the unique characteristics of healthcare electrical installations, DCEM provides millisecond-level insight into real-time and historical data across the entire installation. Data from measuring instruments, switches, and UPS systems are converted into real-time alarms, visualisations, and reports, all accessible via a user-friendly web interface on any device with a standard browser. The system is infinitely scalable in terms of users, functions, data points, and locations, and has proven effective in networks with up to 8,000 energy meters.
Alarm Manager
The most critical function of a power management system is its alarm manager. Impending overloads, voltage failures, and deviations in voltage and current quality are recorded with precise date and time stamps. Active alarms can be transmitted via SMS, e-mail, BMS, or a dedicated smartphone app, ensuring rapid response to potential issues.
Understanding Energy Flows with the Power Tree Feature
The Power Tree function maps real-time and historical loads per phase across the entire electrical installation. At the push of a button, it identifies areas of overcapacity, as well as standby consumers and high-energy devices, enabling immediate recognition of inefficiencies and opportunities for optimisation.
Step 3: Improve the mains voltage through active solutions
Solving power quality problems at the source is not always straightforward. Individually, equipment may comply with applicable standards, but when multiple devices operate together, these limits can be exceeded. Passive solutions, such as power factor (cos phi) compensation or passive filters, are often insufficient in dynamic networks. In modern grids, active compensation systems frequently prove to be the most effective solution.
Improving Power Quality with Active Filters
Active filters are ideal for addressing common issues in contemporary power grids. Their operation can be likened to a noise-cancelling system: a counter-current, shifted 180 degrees out of phase with the disturbance, is injected into the network. This approach can resolve almost all typical power quality problems.
Typical Power Quality Challenges Include:
- Failure of emergency power operations due to capacitive grids, harmonic distortion, or unevenly loaded phases
- Increased failures and higher maintenance costs caused by rising grid pollution
- Greater loading of the neutral conductor due to uneven phases and network disturbances
- Increased transformer loads caused by asymmetrical loads and grid pollution
- Non-compliance with minimum voltage quality standards in hospitals, potentially leading to liability issues
Eliminating Voltage Dips with Voltage Stabilisation Systems
Voltage stabilisation systems “fill in” voltage dips. Unlike UPS systems, these stabilisers operate in parallel with the load, allowing them to handle short-term dips without interruption. This prevents equipment failure and avoids unwanted power peaks, ensuring smoother and more reliable operation.
All from one source
fortop has a team of technical specialists who can guide you through all the steps of power management. From choosing the right meters at each level to commissioning and maintaining software and active compensation systems.
