New Concepts in Electrical Metering for Energy Management

With today´s emphasis on managing energy in industry, many test measurements and recordings are required first to determine usage patterns before deciding what can be done to reduce consumption. A variety of portable test equipment is currently available that can be used to provide such one-time and/or periodic data. Developments in digital metering over the past several years have significantly improved both meter accuracy and repeatability. The advent of microprocessor-based test devices and meters has greatly improved the ease of operation, making the equipment ``user-friendly´´ even to the novice. Details presented include an introduction to metering objectives; practical metering applications; metering techniques to employ and pitfalls to avoid; and a sampling of new portable and permanent metering equipment. All dollar values presented are approximate and based on 1985 energy and equipment costs in the Southeast. Brand names are included to present a cross section of equipment available; the listing is not intended to be all inclusive.