Yokogawa Electric Corporation announced the release of energy efficiency analysis software – EP-Analytics. This is a tool that uses energy performance indicators (EPIs) to monitor a plant’s energy consumption and determine the discrepancy between target EPIs and actual ones. It also helps in identifying countermeasures to improve energy efficiency. The EP-Analytics program is based on the Visual MESA™ energy management and optimization solution.
Prerequisites for development
Manufacturing companies around the world are making great efforts to improve their energy efficiency and protect the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. ISO50001 was released in 2011, providing a framework of requirements to help process companies manage their energy performance effectively and operate in compliance with legal requirements.
YOKOGAWA is one of the leading suppliers of advanced solutions and controls for the process industry. The company has also successfully helped manufacturing companies save energy by optimizing the operation of their plants. In 2013, YOKOGAWA acquired a significant stake in Soteica Visual MESA, one of the world’s leading suppliers of energy management systems and with significant experience in providing solutions for energy supply systems for large industrial enterprises. Thanks to the partnership with Soteica, today YOKGAWA can offer its customers the Visual MESA solution. EP-Analytics, a plant energy visualization software, builds on YOKOGAWA’s process and operational knowledge and uses Soteica’s Visual MESA energy management and optimization technology.
Product Features
To improve energy efficiency, it is first necessary to understand how energy is used in each process unit. By visualizing and tracking energy consumption at each installation, points of low efficiency can be easily identified.
The EP-Analytics program runs on a workstation connected via OPC to the control system, giving the program access to process data such as pressure, temperature, flow, etc. Based on the Visual MESA modeling engine, EP-Analytics uses accurate models based on physical principles to track energy flows in an enterprise and calculates energy efficiency indicators for each individual technological unit and piece of equipment. The software also compares actual energy performance with expected energy performance to identify units and equipment that are operating at reduced efficiency. This information can be used by plant personnel to plan specific countermeasures.
Key Features
- EP-Analytics’ precision calculation engine uses physics-based models to accurately calculate the energy consumption of turbines, boilers and other systems and equipment. It also calculates the mass balance of steam and other energy carriers that are supplied to the process and can thus quantify energy losses and other imbalances in the overall system.
- EP-Analytics is designed to support manufacturing businesses in implementing the ISO50001 standard. The program supports the methodology used in ISO50001, such as the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle, as well as activities such as management analysis. The British Standards Institute (BSI) has assessed the scope and functionality of EP-Analytics software against the core requirements of ISO50001:2011E. BSI confirmed that YOKOGAWA’s report on EP-Analytics features indeed demonstrates the ability to reliably visualize data and achieve ISO50001:2011E compliance.
- Since EP-Analytics uses the same energy calculation engine as Visual MESA, it is possible to upgrade the functionality of EP-Analytics to the Visual MESA system, which allows you to optimize enterprise energy consumption in real time, without interrupting the operation of other systems and equipment. It was for this task that Visual MESA was developed, which is now used by the largest energy companies around the world. And if there is a need to improve the energy efficiency of the process itself, YOKOGAWA is ready to offer a range of solutions for advanced process control and operation management.
Speaking about this new offering from YOKOGAWA, Head of Advanced Solutions Division (Services and Solutions Headquarters) Mr. Kim Hok Taeo said: “Energy regulations are gradually becoming stricter, which is leading to rising energy costs. It is clear that our customers are interested in finding ways to more effectively use measurement and control tools to improve their energy performance. With its comprehensive solutions, YOKOGAWA has something to offer them. I am glad that today we were able to add EP-Analytics to our solutions, in partnership with Soteica. In the future, our division will continue to provide the most advanced energy efficiency solutions.”
