Air Conditioning Energy Saver (ACES) Typical air-conditioning systems are a building’s largest energy consumer creating a lot of strain on local utility grid systems at peak times of the year. The Air Conditioning Energy Saver (ACES) system is an innovative energy-saving suite of products, designed exclusively around air conditioning systems, with the intent of slashing energy costs, while at the same time lowering humidity levels and circulating the air within a room. ACES are currently available to both the commercial and private housing sectors.

How Air Conditioners Work


Air conditioning systems provide ‘forced’ cool-air to lower, but also maintain internal building temperatures with the result that the building becomes much more comfortable and less humid for its occupants on warm, hot days. Typical air conditioning system turn on or off automatically via a room thermostat combined within a simple programmer. Both the compressor and fan within the air-conditioning system run continuously, until the room reaches its desired temperature. It is at this time that the compressor consumes the most energy and the fan uses the least amount of energy.


Air-conditioning systems are generally constructed to cope with peak demand times (summertime). They are generally up-rated to the next available size, implying that air-conditioning systems can operate in situations they may never experience.



The Design Flaw


During the cooling cycle, the compressor chills the coils within the duct while the fan removes ‘warm’ air from the room. As the ‘warm’ air passes over the cooling coils, it loses heat and it is the hot air, which gets extracted from the building.


As cooling occurs within a room, the temperature of the air entering the duct drops, and any difference in temperature is reached; the break point at which the air leaving the system is no longer benefiting from the cooling, meanwhile the compressor continues to run unnecessarily. Ultimately, there are times during the day when the compressor is not making a difference to the room’s temperature. In addition, even although a motor can be running and providing cooling to a building, it can also be using more energy than it needs, because the load profile of the motor requires extra energy after it initializes/powers-up, than it does during the remainder of the cycle.


There is actually no way of adjusting how much energy a motor draws in during each phase of the air conditioning cycle. Consequently, both the motor and compressor use more energy than they need (under normal operating circumstances).



The Answer


ENSOL supplies a series of ACES that can address the air conditioning energy consumption issues mentioned above.

Advantages of Air Conditioning Energy Savers:

·         Deliver up to 35 percent reduction in energy costs

·         Enhance the levels of comfort from effectively cooling and de-humidifying the air

·         Identifies the break point where thermodynamic saturation occurs (when the break point is reached, the compressor turns off automatically, and the fan continues to run, so that as much ‘free’ cooling from the coils occurs, without compromising cooling the room)

·         Lower maintenance/support costs, and

·         Prolonged equipment life.


ENSOL has combined the features of clever temperature sensing with microprocessor based self-learning control algorithms that are constantly checking the temperature of air passing across the cooling coils. By controlling the compressor motor while it is running, ENSOL can ensure that the compressor uses the least amount of energy it requires during each phase of the duty cycle.


At first the motor is soft–started, then full power is delivered to match the higher energy demands, and gradually there is pull back on the drawn energy. By implementing this approach, the motor receives the right amount of power it needs at any given time.



The Future


Currently ENSOL supplies a suite of products that blends into an “Ecosystem,” incorporating load side energy-saving products connected to an Eniscope Hybrid Real Time Energy Management System. This will allow remote web-enabled supervision of individual equipment and items. As a result, ENSOL will be able to determine the source of energy waste and other parameters as a result of these products.


The unique ACES Hybrid combines the benefits of a clever temperature sensing module and motor control into one product.

ACES Hybrid currently communicates via Eniscope to the internet in real-time regarding:

·         Compressor run time

·         Equipment capabilities, and

·         Itemized energy demands and operating costs.


All information will be easily documented in a cloud-based system and any reports can be accessed on a historical basis, so that consumers can control all of their energy-use in their buildings and facilities from the touch of their fingertips. 


A significant portion of global energy consumption (twenty percent) can be attributed to the use of refrigeration systems. ENSOL has proven it has the right balance of exposure, and experience when it comes to achieving effective cost savings of refrigeration systems. ENSOL can enhance your equipment’s performance as it can now control the temperature within your refrigeration-system with its product suite, known as the Chiller Unit Energy Saver (CUES). This is an energy-saving and temperature-monitoring device, designed specifically to assist refrigeration systems run more efficiently and effectively in commercial settings.

The Issue


The purpose of a commercial refrigeration system is to store food products at a pre-determined temperature to prolong the life of food products contained inside. A thermostat measures the temperature of the air, which in turn automatically signals the compressor on or off in a series of cycles.


By keeping the temperature of the ‘air’ inside the refrigeration unit at a pre-determined level, the food product inside takes on that same temperature. Operators check the temperature of the refrigerated food products via a hand held device, to ensure that food products are being kept at the nominal temperature. However, the ‘air’ temperature is not an accurate measure of the ‘product’s’ temperature because air has a completely different thermal characteristic to food products. 


Most products always have a much larger thermal mass in comparison to the air inside the refrigerated space. Also, whenever the door is opened and warm air comes into contact with the thermostat, the compressor is energized, while the temperature of the food product remains the same. Whenever a compressor initializes, more energy demands are placed on its motor windings, meaning the motor has to work harder to build up the suction gas pressure right at the start. However, minimal thermal energy that enters the refrigerated system will get absorbed into the larger thermal mass, indicating that a natural entropic process achieves thermal equivalence, instead of being coerced by the compressor. As a result, the compressor is operating, even when there is no added benefit to the refrigerated food products, hence the wasted energy.



The Design Flaws


There are design flaws with the compressor, as there is typically only one air conditioning induction motor that drives the compressor to circulate the coolant. Compressor motors also come in ‘standard’ sizes and are engineered to handle worst-case scenarios, such as extreme weather conditions or doors kept open for long periods of time.


The load profile of the motor requires extra energy to help with initial start-up, than it does during the remainder of the cycle; not to mention, the motor has no way of acclimatizing during each phase of its duty-cycle. The motor and compressor are oversized by design and therefore use more energy than they need to, under ‘normal’ operating circumstances. Consequently, the compressor is consuming more energy than is required to do its job effectively, implying that it can be switched off when it is running.



The Answer


ENSOL supplies a unique suite of collaborative products that tackles how energy is wasted and provides the necessary tools and assistance to identify precisely which element of energy is being wasted in a comprehensive manner. Experience with both temperature and smart motor control technology has culminated in the following product solutions: the Chiller Unit Energy Saver – Food Mimicking Thermostat and Food Block Probe and the Chiller Unit Energy Saver – Intelligent Motor Control.



How it Works


Chiller Unit Energy Saver – Precise Food Temperature Measurement

A high-tech Food Mimicking Thermostat is placed next to the existing air thermostat to help the compressor run entirely on an interval basis or only when absolutely needed. This results in the compressor energizing less, and generating cooler air cycles for longer periods of time. Additionally, the compressor will only operate when it is required saving energy. The CUES Food Mimicking Thermostat features a food resembling wax formulated with the same thermal properties (thermal mass and thermal potential) as typical food products. The wax is food-safe, easy to install, and enables much better handling of food temperatures.


A CUES Food Block Probe has been designed so that the thermostat can be calibrated, to ensure food products are constantly maintaining the right temperatures. The probe allows for precise, non-invasive measurement of the food products within the refrigeration unit and is stored next to the other food products. Temperatures of the food products are recorded via a portable hand-held meter that gets plugged into the food block.


Both of these products are calculating the ‘food’ temperature versus the ‘air’ temperature, resulting in a much more efficient refrigeration cycle creating additional energy savings, without compromising food safety or quality.


Chiller Unit Energy Saver – Intelligent Motor Control

Once a refrigeration compressor motor draws in lots of energy to power-up, there is considerably less energy demand during the remainder of the cooling cycle, as the motor just maintains momentum. Since the compressor motor has no way of matching its input power to the load demand, the motor will always draw in more energy than it needs, thereby wasting energy.  


The first law of thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be converted to another source, in this case ‘heat.’ Any excess current drawn by the compressor motor is being converted to unnecessary ‘heat’. Given that most refrigeration systems are airtight, this wasted heat combines with the coolant, adding strain because the compressor has to run more to overcome this inefficiency.


With the CUES intelligent motor control technology continuous checks will be performed on the compressor motor, to ensure that just the right amount of energy is used during each phase of the duty cycle. Since the CUES Food Mimicking Thermostat is providing less, but prolonged cooling cycles, the addition of the CUES Intelligent Motor Controller creates additional benefits. The motor will spend relatively more of its time operating in a lightly loaded state (due to fewer start-ups needed), and significant cost savings can be achieved, as the right amount of energy will be supplied at all times – no more, no less!

Advantages of the Chiller Unit Energy Saver:

·         Deliver up to a 30 percent reduction in energy costs

·         Provide precise food temperature control

·         Enable non-invasive measurement of food temperatures

·         Reduce heat, sounds and any rattling within the compressor

·         No compromise to food quality or safety

·         Lower maintenance/support costs, and

·         Prolong equipment life.



The Future


ENSOL supplies a suite of products that blends into an “Ecosystem,” incorporating load side energy-saving products connected to an Eniscope Hybrid Real Time Energy Management System, enabling remote web-enabled supervision of individual items. ENSOL can determine the source of energy waste and other parameters, as a result of these products.


The unique CUES Hybrid combines the advantages of the entire CUES range in just one product!

CUES Hybrid can also communicate via Eniscope to the internet in real-time regarding:

·         Compressor run time and temperature

·         Internal food temperature

·         Ambient room temperature

·         How productive the equipment is, and

·         Itemized energy demands and running costs.


Furthermore, CUES Hybrid can send the operator/engineer notifications whenever maintenance is due (in advance of issues actually occurring); notifications will be sent via text messages or e-mails. Examples of maintenance notifications include when a compressor motor is running at lower levels than usual, or whenever the food temperature drops to unsafe levels.


All information will be documented in a cloud-based system and any reports can be accessed on a historical basis so that consumers can control all of the energy use at their fingertips. 


Eniscope – Real-Time Energy Management System Energy is intangible, making it hard to manage. It is tough to manage what we cannot see or touch! Eniscope is becoming an increasingly popular Real-Time Energy Management System because it is supplementing many of today’s energy management programs that are currently available on the market. Energy-usage is a huge part of our daily life. We consume products, we use energy to get to work, to power our businesses, to turn on the tap in the bathroom, and to drive our cars; energy powers everything! Yet, consumers rarely think about the costs associated with consuming energy or the connection and consequences it may have on the environment.

The Main Issues


From a political perspective, generating, distributing, and connecting consumers to energy has a much larger impact on the global economy than we care to realize. On a commercial level, businesses need to lower their consumption and financial costs when it comes to using energy not just for profit’s sake, but also in order for them to sustain business operations in the long run.


BEST’s management team has 40 years of progressive experience providing individuals and organizations with energy saving ideas and programs. As a result, the management team has encountered several barriers that prevent consumers from really taking advantage of these energy saving programs currently on the market. These barriers include the following:


1)      Consumers have very little or zero control over managing the energy supply process, because energy is typically funnelled into a facility via the National Grid.

2)      Despite the common denominator that energy consumption is measured in units of power (kilowatt-hours), additional tariffs and fees are always included on the final utility bill. Approximately 50 percent of utility bills includes charges relating to ‘reactive power’ and ‘maximum demand.’

3)      Consumers have no way of knowing the exact amount of energy being used at any moment in time. Utility bills charge consumers in arrears, following consumption, making it difficult to know whether large amounts of energy are being wasted or conserved at any given time.

4)      Facility owners have little idea how much an energy-saving device they might have installed is actually saving them, as there is no way of verifying the efficiency of such a device. Sometimes, the wrong product or the wrong application can actually cost a facility owner more because it increases energy consumption instead of saving energy!

5)      When consumers implement an energy savings program, such as switching to renewable energy, it is challenging to visualize what the gains are after making that switch.



Chicago Energy Benchmarking


In 2013 Mayor Emanuel and Chicago’s City Council created a building energy benchmarking ordinance to raise awareness of energy performance through information and transparency. The goal is to help with energy and cost savings opportunities for businesses and residents. The Chicago Energy Benchmarking Ordinance calls on existing commercial, institutional, and residential buildings larger than 50,000 square feet to track whole-building energy use, report to the City annually, and verify data accuracy every three years.


The Chicago Energy Benchmarking Ordinance has three requirements:

1)      Benchmark energy use (annually): Covered buildings will track basic building information and overall building energy use using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, a free online tool offered by the US EPA.

2)      Verify energy data (every 3 years): In the first year in which buildings benchmark, and every third year thereafter, buildings will have energy and building data reviewed by an in-house or 3rd-party professional with a license or training credential recognized by the City.

3)      Report to the City (annually): Click the 2017 Chicago Energy Benchmarking Reporting Link (through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager).


Starting September 2017 the Chicago Energy Benchmarking Ordinance will start fining facilities who are not meeting their baseline energy consumption goals. This fine can be up to $150/day depending on the facility's energy usage.



The Answer


A couple of solutions are available to consumers, such as:

1)      BEST EnergyMaps - an all-encompassing take on energy efficiency. Global companies have already signed up for this initiative to controlreduce, and ultimately eliminate their energy expenses.

2)      The Eniscope solution - a range of web-empowered Class-1 Digital Meters available in one, four, and eight-way arrangements, connected to a tailored computer interface that collects and analyses energy data by the second. Energy data is then transmitted to the Internet, allowing consumers to view their activities and results on a desktop, laptop, or mobile device.

3)      The Eniscope Cloud-based platform features graphical images of real-time and analytic information allowing consumers to be better positioned when it comes to understanding their entire energy use data. This knowledge will in turn reduce energy wastage and provide cost savings, where and when necessary.

4)      Eniscope Real-Time and Analytics is for companies that have already invested in load-side energy saving items to lower their energy use (and their bills) further. In essence, companies can view exactly what type of activity their energy consumption is going towards on a minute by minute basis, enabling them to cut their energy consumption, change their habits, and reduce their carbon footprint (whilst at the same time enjoying cost savings and understanding of the overall health of their system).

5)      Eniscope Real-Time Energy System can help business that fall under the Chicago Energy Benchmarking Ordinance to automate their reporting process in an easy and all-encompassing way. Using Eniscope can allow companies to save their resources, time, and manpower by automating the process.


If you are considering investing in an all-encompassing energy management solution, take the plunge and try Eniscope. It removes the risk of going with those solutions that might not deliver!



Significant Advantages


If you invest in Eniscope’s systems these significant advantages are guaranteed:

·         Employ substantial cost savings (up to 40 percent!)

·         Remove excess energy wastage (for example after-hours once a facility is closed)

·         Identify those pieces of equipment that waste or use too much energy

·         Establish efficiencies and return on investments with energy saving ideas/solutions

·         Interact with the general public with Real-Time Energy animations and bright displays

·         Gain additional energy reductions via the Historical Analysis tab.



Eniscope Hardware


Eniscope’s hardware has been completely designed and manufactured by BEST, in order to deliver the Eniscope solution. Ready for use in a variety of configurations, the total Eniscope solution consists of a customised communications ‘hub’ connected to extremely precise Class-1 Metering points. As a result, customers will be able to open any web-browser and navigate to any meter in their facility. Eniscope is actually considered to be more exact than the standard grade meters provided by the utilities, enabling proper checks on all current meters.


Eniscope Hybrid is the forerunner in the Eniscope product suite and installing a single eight-channel Ensicope Hybrid will provide the following:

·         Integral communications 'hub' and web server

·         Up to 8 individual 3-phase, or 24-single phase electricity metering points via 0.333mV CT’s

·         Ethernet connectivity

·         Remote set up via PC or Mac

·         Condensed footprint measuring 200 x 200 x 60mm

·         Simple installation process with plug-in connectors

·         WiFi enabled

·         3G enabled

·         Up to 8 additional pulse inputs (e.g. water, gas)

·         Modbus capability for multiple single phase metering points

·         Daisy-chain communication with 32 CUES or ACES Hybrid.



Eniscope Hybrid – Unique Hardware


Eniscope Hybrid is a rare solution in the marketplace today because of the following:

1)      It uses its own on-board meters, a robust internal computer and a web-based server implying it can be stored, assimilated, and exported to the internet with ease. This makes it remotely accessible from anywhere via a desktop, laptop or mobile device.

2)      The set up can easily be completed by any qualified electrician (using safe and reasonable 333mV CT’s) and be fully functional within several hours. Furthermore, because it is web-based, all software upgrades will take place remotely.

3)      Eniscope Meters collate and then export energy data in real-time, whilst measuring all of the valuable criteria. No assumptions or postulations are made; everything is measured with extreme accuracy.

4)      This energy management program is adaptable in that consumers can start measuring one meter point, one piece of equipment, or an entire building. Once consumers start to see the benefits, additional sub-meters can be incorporated without a hitch. All analytics can be viewed via the Analytics software.




Eniscope Analytics is an all-encompassing web-based management tool that allows consumers to view their total energy consumption in ‘real-time,’ and understand how healthy their power supply is. Energy consumption can also be viewed historically over any given period of time.


Smart, clever, adjustable and simple to use, Eniscope Analytics makes it easy to access and understand your energy usage. All that is required is a connection to the Internet to run an in-depth analysis on any piece of equipment in a building, or an entire campus at any moment anywhere in the world.  



Internet Contents - What Consumers Will See


Analytics Home Page: A dashboard features on the home page summarising the levels of energy used and associated costs as well as environmental information, such as carbon emission levels. A statistic hourly consumption rate (based on the customer’s historic readings) is an added bonus feature. Users can print off their data and run reports to help with understanding interpretations.


Power Tab: This allows users to aggregate their data as well as compare separate meters. Eniscope Analytics is therefore perfect for helping users understand and compare consumption rates of different areas within buildings, or on campuses, etc. Being able to view this data in one place provides the largest opportunities for energy savings!


Pie Chart Tab: More than one meter’s metrics will display via the Pie Chart tab. Here consumers can view and compare all of their energy consumption usage and determine exactly where their energy costs are going, in terms of activities.


Energy Tab: This shows the whole picture of energy usage and an entire building or department’s energy usage can be viewed via this tab. Consumers can monitor different department’s progress and spot where necessary energy reduction is needed.


Costs Tab: Energy usage is portrayed in monetary terms via the costs tab. An overview of costs allows consumers to determine exactly how much they are spending at any one given time as well as what they are likely to spend in the future, and where they can cut back. This information is available in different currencies and the tariff options available will ensure that Eniscope Analytics provides data that you would normally find on your utility bill.


Amps, Voltage & Power Factor Tabs: These tabs provide consumers with information so that they know and can identify the areas where there may be additional voltage or power used than expected; furthermore, equipment failures and inadequate power supply would appear on these tabs.



Healthy Energy System


Eniscope Analytics provides its consumers an overall picture and ‘health’ of their energy system. It can also prevent issues from cropping up before they arise for example, electrical fires or poor power loading in certain parts of a building or a campus can be easily detected via Eniscope.


In essence, Eniscope provides a one-stop shop for accurate information that will assist those companies increasingly wanting to track their carbon output as Eniscope paints a picture of their entire energy usage as well as carbon footprint.


Eniscope Analytics is a non-stop virtual ‘energy management system,’ which has the option of sending its consumers a report featuring energy use, cost savings any system weaknesses.


Eniscope Analytics...a crucial tool for companies managing their energy usage...delivering the information required in a simple, interactive format. Keeping YOU in control of your energy use!




Eniscope Real-time and Analytics...the premier choice for companies determined to devote their time and money to load-side energy saving products, in the hopes of decreasing their power supply and slashing their energy bill!


Eniscope Real-time and Analytics is a desirable solution for all those ethically-minded and socially-responsible companies, which are into the whole green ‘energy-saving’ movement, and consequently, they want to know just how influential the reach of their products and solutions are for themselves and their clients. 


With Eniscope Analytics, companies will be able to measure both the positive and negative side-effects of any product, and test the performance with complete accuracy on a given application to determine one’s ROI or gain.


By installing an Eniscope Meter on a given appliance or ‘load,’ a company can figure out their consumption levels (with and without the different products being evaluated). Tests can be performed for more than one product simultaneously (i.e., one test can be carried out with a product and one without a product, on a before and after basis). Eniscope Analytics will present the intelligible results your company is seeking with one product’s results, followed by the other product’s results.


Ensicope removes the chances associated with investing in energy-saving solutions that might sound great, but do not live up to expectations. As a result of Eniscope’s innovative vision, your company will be empowered knowing they are making the right decision – with precise, objective and qualitative data available to validate it.




The story featuring the creation and evolution of the forerunning Eniscope Hybrid product is shown in the following video:

Our forerunning product solution Eniscope Hybrid is uber-adaptable, so much so it can self-monitor numerous electrical circuits, whilst at the same time gain input from electricity meters, pulse meters (e.g., water and gas) and temperature sensors. As a result, entire building or campus’ energy information can be supplied via this hardware technology to a suitable software-viewing platform.


Eniscope 4 (Hybrid’s younger sibling) provides multi-channel metering at an economical price point. It has an optional GPRS module that allows cellular communications (if no hard-wired internet connection is available).

Both the Eniscope Hybrid and Eniscope 4 products have been UL, cUL and CE-approved and are partners when it comes to supplying endless configuration options to small, medium, and large business alike.  


The exclusivity of Eniscope’s metering hardware is due to the following reasons:

1)      Energy is measured in real-time by the second; all of the real-time information that gets captured by the ‘web-server’ within each meter can be picked up via the local network or supplied to an exterior display.

2)      It is a plug-and-play solution that can be connected by qualified electricians and because this is a web-enabled service, all software upgrades can be performed remotely.

3)      Eniscope Multi-Channel meters do not leave anything to chance; all of the key parameters in the system are quantified. For example, voltage is quantified with 100 percent accuracy; it is not assumed or estimated.

4)      The system is extremely adaptable according to the consumer’s environment. Consumer’s can set up the system to monitor only one area or one particular piece of equipment; they then can add meters to create a fully integrated energy management system (at a later date)! Data that is already provided to the system can be viewed at any time (now or in the future), via the Eniscope Analytics software. 




Real-time Energy Displays can be placed in strategic locations on your property or throughout your organisation to solicit awareness from your occupants, so that you know precisely how your energy is being used. Since the Real-time Energy Displays will be available to the public, hopefully they will propel people to curb their energy usage and/or change their habits and behaviours regarding how they use their energy.


Since consumers are constantly choosing to purchase from -and are showing preference for- the eco-minded sustainable companies, Eniscope’s Public Energy Displays are a great idea, as they truly reflect the core ‘green’ values that are being instilled in consumers today.  As a result, these Public Energy Displays will resonate with your organisation’s corporate social responsibility commitment to lower its Carbon Footprint and find alternative means to saving energy.  


Despite the current Eniscope solution, which has the capability to power a Public Energy Display, the BEST Research & Development team is pioneering a new range of hardware and software combinations that will take this product to another level.




The Eniscope Real-time Renewable Energy Display is designed to showcase the ‘live’ performance of a variety of alternative energy types via a brilliant graphical interface.



Intended Use


The Real-time Renewable Energy Display can be used by anyone who uses renewable energies in his or her energy supply. This Renewable Technology helps consumers identify whether their equipment is functioning properly and it can benefit society, as it details the many advantages of renewable energy.


The Renewable Energy Display should ideally be placed in high-traffic areas, such as reception areas or the ground floor of an office building; to attract passers-by to the high-resolution interactive illustrations and to solicit a more positive environmental image for the consumer!



How It Works


A Renewable Energy Meter is installed on any piece of equipment or item that consumers want monitored; the meters then display real-time energy generation data that is fed back to a Renewable Hub over an existing Local Area Network (LAN). The Renewable Hub amalgamates the data and portrays it in real-time via a high-resolution, interactive illustrative interface. Key educational messages, providing detailed information about the performance of the renewable technology are also presented. The Renewable Hub can be customised depending on the audience viewing the information.


Additional features, such as the Consumption Meter, can also be added to display the percentage of renewable energy used and how much gets transported to and from the grid.


Main Advantages

·         Portrays real-time performance of any renewable energy technology via a vivid and lively display.

·         Informative for visitors and passers-by as it highlights the advantages of renewable energies.

·         Presents the hidden elements of renewable energy and improves the consumer’s environmental quota.


An air conditioning induction motor is a pretty simple electro-mechanical item, yet globally they account for more than 50 percent of total electrical consumption. Motors are used both in the commercial as well as industrial manufacturing sector and most products on the market today have a motor inside to help them function; as a result, the cost of a motor directly correlates to the price consumers pay for their products.

The Issue


Motors are usually designed in such a fundamental manner that they operate inefficiently partly because the simplicity of the designs have not altered much over the last century. Price was not a considerable factor during the industrial revolution; however, today electrical motors are one of the worst global offenders when it comes to consuming vast amounts of energy.


A utility grid provides us with our power supply (also known as electrical energy), and a motor’s function converts that power into mechanical energy (torque), which is considerably more valuable, as mechanical energy can be utilized to perform a variety of functions in our globalized society. The efficiency of any motor can therefore be measured by its ability to convert the most amount of electrical energy into something mechanical and any excess energy becomes either heat, sound or vibration.  


Reasons Motors Waste Energy:

1.      Motor Designs: Motors are constructed to be oversized versus undersized, and sometimes a manufacturer will use a ‘standard’ motor, instead of tailoring the motor to the size required, just so they can keep the price point low for the consumer.  

2.      Power Supply: Variations in power supply from utility providers must be considered so that designers and manufacturers know their motors can perform even under the poorest power conditions i.e., when the voltage is below threshold. If a motor cannot tolerate such conditions, it could burn out or worse, catch alight!

3.      Fluctuations in Energy Consumption: The duty-cycle on a motor varies substantially, with ranges from 100 to 0 percent loading. Although there is a measure of reactance within the motor windings, it is known that an air conditioning induction motor has no way of acclimatizing itself. Take an escalator as an example; escalators need to carry two adults on each step in an upward direction, however, sometimes there is just one person to move, implying less energy is needed and not all of the escalators ascend (the majority of the world’s escalators descend). Since motors are unable to adjust to the fluctuations in energy consumption, there is always going to be some form of wasted energy.

4.      Poor Power Factor: When air conditioners initialize, an air conditioning induction motor takes in large inrush currents, typically 6-9 times the normal full load current, which can negative consequences on maximum demand charges. Subsequently this can lead to 300 percent increases in shock load, which can be transferred to the mechanical transmission systems, causing untimely mechanical failures. On the other end of the duty cycle spectrum, a lightly loaded motor becomes a more ‘inductive’ versus ‘reactive’ load. This is often the cause of ‘poor power factor’ (along with increased peak demand), which can cause disciplinary charges, sometimes doubling the kilowatt units charged per billing period. Poor power factor can also have the effect of shrinking the amount of available power on a site.

5.      System Losses: Losses in the system can create additional mechanical issues…when a motor draws in more power than it can convert to mechanical energy, the excess energy has to be converted by the motor to another source of energy, namely heat, noise and vibration. Over time, this impacts the performance and life of a motor, increasing maintenance costs and lowering its life expectancy.



The Answer


Recent advancements have been made in the intelligent motor control technology field; the software utilized in the intelligent Motor Energy Controllers (iMEC) single-phase motor controller is the same software used at the heart of the ACES and CUES Hybrid solutions.


As a motor goes through its duty cycle, there will be a proportional effect on the ‘values’ of the power that is being drawn in. iMEC uses this feedback from the motor as it comes along the power cable to allow the motor to act as its own load sensor.


iMEC records the ‘load’ on the motor at an interval of 100th of a second to ensure the motor has the right amount of power needed to perform at any given time; iMEC also enables the motor to run as a much more ‘resistive’ load, enhancing the quality of the power. 


Controlled acceleration allows for much smoother starting and handling when the motor initializes. Power is ramped up gradually at each starting cycle, lessening the wear and tear and lowering the demand charges associated with starting loaded motors.


iMEC electronically ‘sizes’ the motor to both its application and load cycle every fraction of a second, ensuring the motor uses the precise amount of power needed to perform at any given time. 

Advantages of the intelligent Motor Energy Controllers:

·         Deliver up to 40 percent reduction in energy costs

·         Lower peak demand charges

·         Decrease heat, sound and vibration 

·         Reduce maintenance/support costs, and

·         Prolong equipment life.


ENSOL supplies a host of iMEC solutions for single-phase applications (up to 20AMP), as well as custom orders, ranging from 3-1000kW including a complete assortment of ENSOL’s 3-Phase applications.


Do you know a single business today that does not use any form of lighting? It would be impossible to run a business without having some sort of lighting. Despite the scientific advancements in the electrical lighting world, consumers are still very much dependent on artificial lighting. Take for example, the common incandescent light bulb, which is used globally in our society today as a source of lighting. This type of light bulb is approximately only 10 percent efficient meaning the remaining 90 percent of the electricity used to power it gets wasted. That 90 percent of energy that gets wasted becomes heat, meaning that other equipment; such as air-conditioning systems have to work longer and harder to cool a room down.

Facts about Light

·         19 percent of global electricity generation is for lighting purposes.

·         The Carbon Dioxide emissions from lighting are the equivalent to 70 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions from passenger vehicles.

·         Approximately 40 percent of a commercial building’s electricity costs can be attributed to lighting.



The Answer


The Light Energy Saver System (LESS) provides a simple solution when it comes to reducing the 90 percent of wasted energy from a light bulb. It cuts Carbon Dioxide emissions, lowers your energy costs, and improves the overall comfort levels within your organization. LESS is based on software algorithms that allows a florescent light fitting (either single or multiple) to emit just the right amount of lux/lumen needed to light a given space or area. Once that predetermined lux/lumen level is reached, the lights will turn off automatically.



How it Works


At the beginning of the day (dawn), the lights will automatically turn on to full brightness. As the natural sunlight slowly penetrates the windows and doors throughout the day, the lights will dim to maximize the sunlight’s potential, while maintaining a constant level of light (lux/lumen).


On cloudy days, the lights will adjust their levels according to the external brightness and all of this occurs without you noticing. By using this smart technology organizations can save themselves approximately 35 percent of their current energy costs. This is a simple, yet effective solution not to be ignored.



Who do you know that could benefit from reduced lighting costs?


LESS is more!