Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, announced that it enabled Guardian Glass, a leading glass manufacturer, to improve power reliability and efficiency with its EcoStruxure architecture. EcoStruxure is Schneider Electric’s open, interoperable, IoT-enabled system architecture and platform.
Guardian Glass and Schneider expands relationship built on trust
Guardian Glass operates a 750,000 square foot plant in Dewitt, Iowa which features a furnace that operates at 2,800ºF to pull approximately 700 tons of glass every day, around the clock. The furnace is critical to the plant’s operation and a shutdown can have devastating consequences.
After experiencing disappointing and costly results from Schneider Electric competitors, including a power and capacitor bank failure, Guardian Glass turned to Schneider Electric for help and installed its VarSet™ capacitor banks. Guardian Glass quickly saw meaningful results after installation. Its power factor went up to 97%, making it eligible for monthly credits of 4% on its utility bill and set it on track for a two-year payback.
“We need reliable equipment to continue operating at the optimum level – meaning we require uptime 365 days, 24/7,” said Mike Flesch, Senior Controls Engineer at Guardian Glass. “Our digital transformation with Schneider Electric EcoStruxure solutions has allowed us to have greater insight into power, reliability, and power factor.”
The solution didn’t end with the capacitor banks. PowerLogic™ meters now provide Guardian Glass with important visibility into power usage. The PM5000 Series and the PM8000 Series meters support the energy usage as well as the visibility to reveal damaging and costly power quality issues — allowing the facility to fix issues that would otherwise be unseen. Plus, EcoStruxure Power Monitoring Expert software gives Guardian Glass full visibility of power factor, real-time power, capacitor bank steps, and various alarms for any issues with the system. By connecting these smart meters with energy and power management system software, like EcoStruxure Power Monitoring Expert, the full potential of power digitalization is realized – tasks are simplified, activities are streamlined, and processes are now automated.
“Schneider Electric went above and beyond in this project at the inception,” said Flesch. “I have confidence that Schneider Electric sees the big picture and will look out for us in the future.”
Building of the future captures the power of all-digital, all-electric infrastructure
Most public, commercial and industrial buildings are not energy efficient, representing an enormous untapped potential for decarbonization and sustainability efforts, as well as utility bill savings. Power digitalization plays a foundational role in active energy management and efficient facility operations. For existing buildings, this can be done by retrofitting electrical systems with smart devices and using energy and power management software that improves energy efficiency and reduces risk. This power digitalization investment helps facility management and maintenance personnel make better decisions, resolve issues more quickly, minimize downtime, and use less energy. EcoStruxurePower offers Connected Products, Edge Control, and Apps, Analytics, and Services from Schneider Electric’s IoT-enabled EcoStruxure IT architecture. Together, these innovations help plants thrive at every level and provide:
- ability to manage the plant’s electric usage effectively
- visibility and control of power distribution across plant processes
- analytics to improve efficiency and reduce energy use
- improved accuracy of utility charges with shadow billing
“The industry is changing rapidly and in order to keep up with increased demands, buildings – both new and retrofit – need to adapt,” said Khaled Fakhuri, Vice President of Digital Power at Schneider Electric. “At Schneider Electric, it’s our goal to help our customers like Guardian Glass do more with less and realize the benefits of digitalization in energy management.”
