Reducing Energy Consumption in Industrial Plants Using Behind the Meter Conservation Voltage Reduction

This paper explores the benefits of behind the meter conservation voltage reduction (CVR) in industrial environment. It discusses how the energy savings are realized with AC motors - the predominant load in industrial plants, through simulation and experimental results. The paper presents two methods to measure conservation voltage reduction factor (CVR _f ) levels at the customer end. The first approach that is purely based on ambient feeder measurements to investigate CVR factor levels is discussed and an experimentally validated analytics technique is applied to extract CVR factor from high-resolution field data from an industrial plant. The second method based on a `clamp-on voltage injection' approach to investigate CVR factor levels precisely at the point of change is also discussed. Experimental validation of the `clamp-on' voltage injection device has been shown. Such methods can be used to evaluate potential energy savings in a plant before the installation of a CVR implementation device.