A Perth company claims to be the first to offer intelligent motor control technology that can cut a business’s power bill by up to 40 per cent.
Clever Energy was formed late last year by Chris Anderson after he saw an advertisement for distributors of a product called Powerboss while holidaying in Singapore.
He made inquires and thought Perth would be an ideal market because of the recent focus on power usage, the cost of electricity bills, and a growing awareness of environmental issues.
Powerboss sits between a motor and the power supply and can gauge how much power is required to operate the machinery.
“It matches the power used and the load an engine uses,” Mr Anderson told WA Business News.
“The best example I can use is an escalator. It’s designed so that, for instance, if you have two 15-stone people on every step of that escalator it would have enough power to get everyone up. But there are times when there might be only one skinny person on there, or no-one at all.”
Mr Anderson said that, while motors constantly provided the maximum power supply, the Powerboss could tailor power usage to suit demand.
“It matches the load and balances it,” he said. “I don’t think there is any other product on the market that does this; I certainly haven’t come across it.”
Mr Anderson said the technology would also reduce maintenance costs and equipment upgrades.
He said because the Powerboss ensured a motor consumed only the energy it required, and switched off automatically when power was not needed, it protected machinery from excess heat and vibration.
The technology varies from $800 to $30,000 and the cost is dependent on the size of the motor being controlled.
The technology is applicable across most industries.
“It applies to things like the corner deli or café that has air-conditioning and fridge requirements, right through to BHP mills,” he said.
Mr Anderson said energy savings could save businesses up to 40 per cent on the power bill.
“Many motors are worked well below their design capacity, meaning they are largely inefficient. By drawing just the amount of power needed for any particular load, you can make enormous energy savings,” he said.