Electrical Engineering Services
Energy Audits
Predominant Use Studies
Thermal Imaging
As an energy consulting company we offer many custom engineering services:
- Energy Audits – Before a company can move forward with an effective energy strategy, understanding how they are using the energy in their facility is imperative. An energy audit provides usage information that can be used for prioritization of projects.
In a recent audit for a semi-conductor supplier manufacture, RPM discovered over $100K of energy savings. The following energy conservation opportunities were identified:
- retrofitting motors with variable frequency drives
- retrofitting existing lighting system
- installing power factor correction capacitors
- sealing leaks around windows
- converting to a primary tariff rate
To get a quote for an energy audit, please click here.
TOP
- Predominant Use Studies – These studies are also called sales tax exemption studies. Our work has mostly been in Texas whereby a manufacturer can claim sales tax exemption if 50% of their load is proven to be used towards their manufacturing process. The rules around proving the exemption are very distinct and laid out buy the Texas State Comptroller. These rules are strictly followed and any studies done before 2004 are not up to the current code. Thus, if the State Comptroller audits your facility you will need an updated study performed. For facilities that have paid this sales tax for years and qualify, you are eligible to get back taxes paid for the previous four years. Rapid Power Management has done predominant use studies since the inception of our company in 02’, One of our best success stories was helping a prominent water bottle manufacturer in the Dallas area collect well over $150,000 in taxes paid. To get a quote, please click here.
TOP
- Thermal Imaging – An IR scan is a measurement taken with a camera to "see" and "measure" thermal energy emitted from an object. Thermal, or infrared energy, is light that is not visible because its wavelength is too long to be detected by the human eye; it's the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that we perceive as heat. Unlike visible light, in the infrared world, everything with a temperature above absolute zero emits heat. Even very cold objects, like ice cubes, emit infrared. The higher the object's temperature, the greater the IR radiation emitted. Infrared allows us to see what our eyes cannot. Infrared thermography cameras produce images of invisible infrared or "heat" radiation and provide precise non-contact temperature measurement capabilities.
TOP
Time Is Money?
Poor electrical connections cause an increase in resistance, which results in temperature increases in the conductors and equipment. These temperature increases cause equipment failure. Early detection can prevent these failures. Below is a chart of potential savings of early detection of equipment defects through an IR Scan:
| Equipment |
Replacement Costs |
| 400 amp 480V 30 fused disconnect |
$800-$1,000 |
| 2,000 amp draw out circuit breaker |
$12,000-$15,000 |
| 2,000 kVa 13 2,000/480V oil-filled transformer |
$25,000-$30,000 |
These do not include downtime, which is much greater than equipment damage in most circumstances!
| Below is a page of a recent IR report whereby poor connections to an isolated transformer were detected. The repair was relatively inexpensive as opposed to the limited life of the transformer that would have been a result of the excessive heat inside the unit. |
Power Quality Study – Customers don’t typically think in terms of the quality, when thinking of the power in their facility, until they notice odd occurrences. These occurrences can range from motor failure, electronic control blips to explosions. If your facility equipment is acting in a strange manner, a study of the power in your facility will give clues to what the problem might be. These studies are performed by our expert staff along with the latest metering equipment as soon below.
To receive a quote for your facility, please click here.