Energy Saving System

BMASS energy saving system, Power Saver, is a micro-processor controlled unit that manages and reduces fluorescent and HID / high bay lighting power, and improves lighting and energy efficiency. It has the unique capability to offer significant cost savings in the operation of fluorescent lighting power (up to 30%), whilst achieving a major reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and pollution of the environment.

Power Saver will enable existing buildings and tenancies become more energy efficient without the need for expensive and potentially non cost effective lighting upgrades. Power Saver installed in T8/T12 fluorescent lighting circuits, with very reliable high performance magnetic ballasts (including older discontinued EEI C/D Class models), will:

The base technology utilised in BMASS Power Saver may often be referred to in literature as a type of:

BMASS offers the following products to suit customer's requirements:

Fluorescent Lighting:

Single Phase 10 kVA Unit - installation of up to 210 (36W) fluorescent tubes for each BMASS Power Saver unit

Single Phase 5 kVA Unit - installation of up to 105 (36W) fluorescent tubes for each BMASS Power Saver unit

Triple units to suit three phase lighting can be made to order (minimum order quantity applies) - 15kVA to 30kVA (60 amp to 135 amp lighting load capacity based on balanced lighting loads)

High Intensity Discharge (HID) / High Bay Lighting:

Single Phase 10kVA Unit - installation of up to 45 amps of HID lamps for each BMASS Power Saver unit

Triple units to suit three phase lighting can be made to order (minimum order quantity applies) - 15kVA to 30kVA (60 amp to 135 amp lighting load capacity based on balanced lighting loads)

In each case BMASS Power Saver units are integrated directly into existing lighting power circuits, at or near the switchboard. A significant and unique feature of Power Saver is its ability to manage multiple fluorescent lighting circuits unlike other products that only operate on a single lighting circuit. Importantly, Power Saver is not a fluorescent lighting dimming device.

The unit is considered an 'appliance' and does not normally require any special approval prior to installation.

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Independent Product Review BMASS Power Saver has been independently reviewed by ecospecifier , has been pre-assessed by them as a product likely to contribute to the achievement of Green Star credit points against a number of green star product categories from the Green Building Council of Australia and likely to contribute to meeting significant energy efficiency criteria using the Australian Building Greenhouse Rating (ABGR) scheme by office building owners and tenants.

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The Smart Solution

What Does BMASS Power Saver Do?

Energy Saving by effectively managing and reducing lighting power

Saves Money by reducing operating costs

Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions through a reduction in energy consumption (lighting power) and demand

Reduces Peak Power Demand

Complements existing Building Management Efficiency procedures

Where is BMASS Power Saver Used?

BMASS Power Saver is used in fluorescent and HID / high bay lighting installations fitted with magnetic ballasts:

Fluorescent Lighting

Reduce lighting power consumption by up to 30% typically

Reduce lighting Power Density (watts/m²)

Increase lighting efficiency by >20%

Reduce energy loss across magnetic ballasts by >60%

Modify voltage, current and power factor while preserving conditions for reliable operation and starting of fluorescent tubes

Provide significant greenhouse gas savings (in excess of 20 tonnes per unit per annum); whilst

Causing no perceptible effect on fluorescent light levels

HID / High Bay Lighting

Suitable for use with most Mercury Vapour, High Pressure Sodium and Metal Halide lamps using reactor or constant wattage transformers

Reduce lighting power consumption by 25 to 38% typically

Modify voltage, current and power factor while preserving conditions for reliable operation, starting and re-starting of HID lamps (software allows for a minimum of 15 minutes for lamp warm-up, can be varied to suit different lamps)

Provide significant greenhouse gas savings (in excess of 20 tonnes per unit per annum); whilst

A degree of dimming is possible with HID lamps but varies depending on the lamp / ballast combination; highly suitable for over lit areas, daytime use, low usage areas and external lighting (including car parks or street lighting)

How does BMASS Power Saver Work?

Advanced autotransformer technology is utilised to achieve a voltage reduction across the lighting power circuit

On start-up of lights full mains voltage is applied to the lighting load

When lighting load start is complete and a stable operating load is achieved, load voltage is automatically reduced by a fixed amount

If mains voltage falls enough to compromise proper operation or starting in save mode, full mains voltage is restored

When load lighting power is increased by switching on additional lighting, full mains voltage is restored, and start-up of new lamps is commenced in accordance with manufacturer's specifications preserving lamp life (see current sensing and down-line switching in Power Saver FAQ)

Applications for BMASS Power Saver

Typical applications include:

Medium to large commercial and industrial lighting installations with HID and/or fluorescent lamps

Any lighting installation with multiple fluorescent tubes

Office environments

Stores

Factories

Shopping Centres

Supermarkets

Parking houses

Warehouses

Schools

Perimeter Lighting

Advantages of BMASS Power Saver

Saves Money on Lighting Power and Peak Load – typically 30% of costs

Reduces the overall lighting Power Density (watts/m²) - assists with compliance of Part J6, Building Code of Australia 'Artificial Lighting and Power' provisions for maximum lamp power and illumination power density

No need for expensive or non cost effective lighting upgrades to be energy efficient (such as replacing magnetic ballasts with less reliable electronic ballasts, replacing T8 fittings with T5 fittings)

Works with most types of fluorescent tubes (standard tubes, compact and most energy saving models) and HID lamps (mercury, sodium and metal halide)

Extends the life of all lighting tubes – a further reduction in costs

Operates without any flickering of tubes

A single unit is able to manage multiple lighting circuits

Only known system suited to large office, conference and meeting rooms environments where lights may be switched on and off at irregular intervals

Power Saver does not incorporate a 'phase switching' system unlike other products, as 'phase switching' is a known source of electrical / RF noise, light flicker, reliability and system failures

Safety - Power Saver is inherently safe, automatically adjusting it's operation with the operating environment (no chance of combustion or dramatic system failure)

Reduces Air Conditioning Power Demand (reduction in heat from lights, particularly their ballasts)

Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Portability - take it with you if you move

Scalable solutions to over 200 (36W) tubes per unit (5kVA and 10kVA units)

Provides rapid recovery of any initial outlay costs (no net cost to the client with options for outright purchase or lease)

Integrates easily with existing building management systems

Set and Forget

On installation the unit/units are fully automatic (i.e. set and forget) and will enter and leave the energy save mode according to lighting power demand.

The system will enter energy save mode when all fluorescent or HID tubes/lamps in the lighting circuit that have been activated, have started and are stable. BMASS Power Saver operation does not require all tubes in the lighting circuit to be active. As additional lights are switched on the unit will automatically leave the energy save mode and enter a bypass mode (re-establishes full power to the lighting circuit) until all lights have started and are again stable. It will then revert to the energy save mode.

In the case of HID lamps, lamps will remain in the bypass mode until the manufacturer's specified warm-up time is achieved (typically 15 minutes but can be set in our factory to other specifications). Where HID lamps are run continuously, such as some industrial scenarios, units can be programmed to automatically enter bypass to apply full power to the lamps for around 15 minutes daily to ensure lamp life is maintained (requires optional programmable timer).

In the event of supply voltage reductions (such as a power supply 'brownout') the unit will automatically enter a bypass mode until the supply voltage has returned to an acceptable level. The units will operate effectively even in the event of a back-up power source being activated (such as power blackouts). The unit will automatically wait until the circuit and power supply is again stable. Importantly, the unit will not interfere with or hinder the normal supply of lighting in any way. In the unlikely event of a fault in the unit, it will automatically switch to a bypass mode restoring full lighting power to the circuit.

Low Maintenance

BMASS Power Saver does not require periodic maintenance - it is a true "set and forget" product.

A Production System that Delivers Top Class Products

Products supplied are manufactured in Australia to the highest Australian and International QA Standards. All BMASS suppliers are required to manufacture and supply all products in accordance with Australian Standards. Power Saver electronics were designed to ISO 9001 standards in a Defence-rated manufacturing facility. A high level of product reliability is achieved by the use of high temperature components, semiconductors, and cabling, as well as locally manufactured quality transformers with superior thermal properties. Power Saver is manufactured in accordance with the requirements of key Australian/New Zealand and International Standards:

AS/NZS CISPR 15:2006 - EMC characteristics (C Tick)

AS/NZS 3000:2007 - Wiring Standards

IPC-A-610 - Electronic assemblies

Manufacture

Power Saver is manufactured in Queensland and is fully supported within Australia. Local manufacture ensures that customers are supplied with a product that meets their requirements. If you have a special requirement or design build then contact us and discuss your needs.

Power Saver is supplied with a five (5) year product warranty.             (Contact us for conditions of the warranty)

Installation

Installation of the products is simple and straight forward. It can be carried out with a few simple instructions by a qualified electrician.

Operation of the BMASS Power Saver

BMASS Power Saver operates very simply, by reducing the voltage supply for the lamp load. This reduces the supply current, without greatly affecting lamp voltage, because of the presence of a magnetic ballast in fluorescent lamps. Additionally, there is a consequent improvement in the 'power factor', important for AC power circuits. The effect is a significant reduction in lamp lighting power, with a much smaller loss in lamp brightness.

Other energy saving devices may operate in this way, but most are either single lamp fitting units, or use electronic phase switching, which is an electrical noise source and can cause annoying flickering of the lights. BMASS Power Saver will normally be located at or near the switchboard, and on proposed scaling, a basic 10kVA unit will handle about 210 (36W) fluorescent tubes. Advanced autotransformer technology is employed to achieve the reduction voltage, and the unit is simple and relatively cheap to install.

BMASS Power Saver monitors load lighting power and voltage at all times, and will only enter power save mode when load power is stable, indicating all starting and switch-on activity has ceased. If load voltage falls through brownout, or additional lamps are switched on, BMASS Power Saver will restore full mains to protect tubes against starting and life problems.

Benefits of BMASS Power Saver

A single 10kVA (approximate 210 x 36W tubes) BMASS Power Saver, operating 24 hours per day will save about 60 KWh per day. This saves substantial quantities of greenhouse gases, in excess of 20 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum. Even with a low energy cost structure, such an installation will normally repay its cost in well under 2 years. Additional benefits are extension of lamp life, reductions in ceiling generated heat and hence air conditioning. Further, BMASS Power Saver is easily installed and removed, so that it is readily portable from one site to another (for example, end of building lease, sale and/or purchase of new facilities).

All BMASS Power Saver units are designed to manage multiple lighting circuits. This unique feature enables a single unit to monitor continuously the load across all connected lighting circuits, as previously explained.  An essential feature for office environments and where lights may be turned on and off at irregular intervals.

Building management programs to replace existing magnetic ballasts with electronic ballasts in T8 fluorescent light fittings will prevent additional significant savings in energy being achieved.  Electronic ballasts operate by maintaining constant power, compensating for variations in voltage and current in individual fittings, but do not by themselves save significant amounts of energy. Maintaining magnetic ballasts (or upgrading older ballasts to low-loss magnetic) ensures that substantial amounts of energy can be saved across a large number of fittings by a single BMASS Power Saver unit; far more than a T8 fitted with an electronic ballast. Although energy efficient T5 light fittings can demonstrate energy savings they do come with a very high capital cost, very specific lighting design criteria, and ongoing maintenance/reliability costs.

In addition to the significant benefits of BMASS Power Saver already detailed, optional complementary technologies can also be incorporated into your installation:

Download Power Saver Brochure

Click here to download Power Saver product brochure (PDF file).

View Declaration of Conformity

N 17747

Energy Saving and Lighting Efficiency

For a detailed comparison of relative energy saving and lighting efficiency measures (as opposed to improvements in lighting efficiency / efficacy only) click here.

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Copyright © 2008 BMASS Energy Saving Solutions Pty Ltd
Last modified: 11-June-2008