Load Shedding

The concept of Load Shedding is something that most of us do, unconsciously, every day in our own homes. In it’s basic form, it is as simple as turning a light off when you leave a room.

Multiply that scenario, scaled up for an office block or shopping centre and it becomes clear what savings can be achieved.

Impact

Sites are increasingly being dragged into more complex charging regimes, with certain times of day having much higher energy costs, not just in terms of the unit cost, but also the associated transmission and distribution charges. If you could prevent excessive use of energy, whether it be round the clock, or during certain periods, what would that do to the bottom line?

All about control

Behavioural change, reliant on human intervention, works well. However, it takes time to implement and is difficult to manage. Removing loads, whether on a timed basis or in response to certain environmental changes, whilst doing so automatically, will achieve much greater savings than manual input.

Many buildings already have the capability, if connected and programmed correctly, can achieve this through their BMS. However, whilst BMS takes care of heating and cooling, it’s not always the case that it links with lighting or other areas of the site and will possibly only be used on a basic level. It may have been set up for outdated conditions and might not reflect current usage. Taken a step further, it is possible to engineer a scenario using sensors and flexible settings to ensure that loads are only used when needed, giving a true “Smart Building” scenario. For a live example of this,ask us about our work with the Vue Cinema chain.