Load control
May 2008
Electrical Power & Protection
Recent events have brought the reality of large-scale power cuts into our homes and businesses. CBI-electric: low voltage has developed answers to help alleviate the power crisis in the country. The use of a time switch and energy control unit (ECU) in the home achieves the objective of smoothing out consumption during the high demand periods of early morning and early evening, which can make a significant contribution to the national effort to manage load.
The ECU is a load shedding device used to control the power to non-essential loads like electrically heated water tanks, under-floor heating and airconditioning units during high demand periods. For example, when a stove (the controlling circuit) is switched on and the current exceeds the rating of the ECU, the supply to the hot water geyser (controlled circuit) will be temporarily interrupted. The ECU current rating should be low enough to ensure the timely interruption of the controlled circuit. The ECU is compact in size for convenient mounting and is silent in operation.
The CBI electronic time switch can be set to switch on the geyser a few hours before it is needed, eg, the early morning. The same can be done in the afternoon depending on individual household requirements. Alternatively, peak loads can be shed effectively by switching the geyser on only during the night. With the geyser consuming up to 20% of domestic power requirement, the effect of the use of the time switch on load is dramatic.
The time switch can also act as a security device. When users are away the device can be set so that the lights are turned on and off at pre-determined times as they would if the occupants were home.
The CBI electronic time switch is compact with an LCD display that enables users to visually see the time-setting and programs in the unit. It is also equipped with a by-pass override for greater energy management flexibility, and power supply back-up ensures that settings are retained for up to 24 hours in the event of power outages.
For more information contact John Raptakis, CBI-electric, +27 (0)11 928 2089, [email protected], www.cbi-electric.com
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