Around the globe, large corporations and governments are making pledges to achieve net-zero emissions as environmental and global warning concerns continue to be heavily politicised. In response, Government policy and industry standards are constantly being reviewed and amended to meet the needs of the environment. Leaving businesses wondering whether they should be doing more, how can they do more, are they compliant with the changes in the industry standards, and if there is a way that they can reduce their impact on the environment.
Major changes were made to the National Construction Code (NCC) and Building Code of Australia (BCA) in early 2020 regarding energy monitoring for commercial and industrial premises, holding building owners accountable for the volume of energy being used in various applications within their building.
According to the Department of Energy, commercial buildings are responsible for around 25% of overall electricity use and 10% of carbon emissions in Australia, highlighting why the changes to the NCC/BCA have occurred.
In the infographic, IPD has explained Section J8.3 of the NCC/BCA. These changes apply to both low voltage and medium voltage applications across all commercial and industrial buildings.
How do I know if my premises complies with the changes?
The answer is simple – do you have a power monitoring system installed into your premises?
If you responded no to this question, your building would not comply under Section J8.3 of the NCC/BCA. If you responded yes to this question, compliance will be granted if your power monitoring system and energy meters are adequately measuring the power usage of your air conditioning, artificial lighting, appliance power, hot water supplies, internal transport devices and other ancillary plant equipment, while successfully communicating the information back to a single interface monitoring system.
By monitoring power usage, you will be able to understand what you could do to reduce energy usage to create a more sustainable environment, reduce operating costs and increase property values. Additionally, monitoring your power usage can provide you with valuable information to help you understand any potential electrical issues with your appliances, or electrical system by any sudden spikes in power usage that wouldn’t normally occur with any normal day to day usage.
What is the best performing power monitoring system on the market?
Socomec’s Digiware system is a superior and complete power monitoring system with an unbeatable reputation for high performance. The Digiware system has metering systems available for both Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC) applications and provides end to end energy monitoring. The system has an AutoCorrect plug and play installation, meaning, it will automatically correct itself if an installation was completed incorrectly.
Socomec’s Digiware solution utilises their PreciSense technology with high accuracy from 2% to 120% of the nominal load current, communicates using a BACNET & RS485 Modbus communication system and has current sensors that can measure from 0.1A to 7200A.
Additionally, Socomec has a superior VirtualMonitor technology installed into their Digiware system that enables easy installation and is highly capable of providing remote and real-time monitoring, without the inclusion of extra hardware or wiring.
AutoCorrect Technology
PreciSense Technology
VirtualMonitor Technology
Socomec Digiware can be retrofitted during installation, meaning that there will be less downtime for your electrical system throughout the installation process, and will save both you and your electrical contractor time and money. The system includes an integrated webserver with the innovative Webview software which will provide you with the real time information about your energy usage.
Looking for more information about the Socomec Digiware System? Contact IPD for more information on 1300 556 601 or [email protected]
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