By:Jim Furness

In the current climate of rising energy costs and concern over the environmental impact of burning fossil fuels many companies are using data logger systems to assess energy their consumption.

The use of data logger equipment in energy management systems can be split into two main categories:

Data Logger use for Environmental Measurement.

To asses the efficiency of a heating system ambient temperature must be measured throughout a building. This can be accomplished using small temperature data logger units placed in main work areas, warehouses and offices. Information will normally be downloaded from the data logger on a weekly or monthly basis and collated into a single data base. Outside weather conditions may also be recorded by a data logger interfaced to a weather station to provide a complete picture of ambient conditions.

Data Logger use for energy measurement

Along with a profile of temperature data in key work areas it is vital to measure actual energy used to heat these areas. Heating systems can be fitted with various types of data logger to measure KWH, gas, and oil usage, and inlet and outlet temperatures. There are many types of data logger systems available for this function. The main specification for a data logger to be used in these applications are:

1) Multi channel inputs – the data logger should be capable of accepting inputs from as number of sensors ( temperature, flow, KWH etc. )

2) Different input types – the data logger should be able to measure inputs from thermocouples, PT100 sensors, 4-20mA signals from flow meters, pulse outputs from flow meters and kilowatt hour meters.

A good data logger system can provide the basis for ongoing analysis of energy management and the effectiveness of energy saving strategies. Some data logger systems are able to collect data from sensors in the building heating system as well as environmental data. GPRS data logger systems can collect data from sites spread over a wide area, and across national boundaries. Web enabled data logger units can publish data to a website enabling easy worldwide access. This is useful for multi national organizations who require global energy management strategies.

What data logger should you use for your energy management program? The type of data logger best suited will depend on a range of factors. Does the data logger system need to cover a large site such as a factory or hospital or a relatively small site with only a few rooms? Can the information from the data logger be easily downloaded on site, or is the data logger in a remote location where access is difficult? Does the data logger need to be battery powered, or is local power available? Does the data logger need to publish data to a web page or send data to a remote server?

If a data logger is effectively used as part of an energy management system the equipment costs can be recovered in a relatively short period from the savings made.

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About the author:
Jim Furness is CEO of Omniinstruments Ltd, specialists in Replica Wristwatch and other instrumentation solutions such as Replica Watches
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