Schneider Electric > Case Studies > A clear view of power management

A clear view of power management

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Customer Company Size
Large Corporate
Region
  • America
Country
  • United States
Product
  • EcoStruxure Power Monitoring Expert
  • VarSet™ capacitor banks
  • PowerLogic™ meters
Tech Stack
  • IoT
  • Analytics
  • Cloud
Implementation Scale
  • Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
  • Cost Savings
  • Productivity Improvements
  • Environmental Impact Reduction
Technology Category
  • Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics
Applicable Industries
  • Glass
Applicable Functions
  • Discrete Manufacturing
  • Maintenance
Use Cases
  • Energy Management System
  • Predictive Maintenance
  • Condition Monitoring
Services
  • System Integration
  • Data Science Services
About The Customer
Guardian Glass is a leading glass manufacturer with a 750,000-square-foot plant in Dewitt, Iowa. The plant operates a furnace at 2,800 ºF to produce approximately 700 tons of glass per day, every day, around the clock. The company is driven by an innovative spirit and a passion to advance glass technology. Guardian Glass plays a crucial role in enhancing a building’s aesthetic while augmenting its structural integrity and helping buildings achieve LEED status. The company's tagline, 'See what’s possible,' reflects its commitment to pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with glass.
The Challenge
Guardian Glass, a leading glass manufacturer, was facing a challenge with its power reliability and efficiency. The company's 750,000-square-foot plant in Dewitt, Iowa operates a furnace at 2,800 ºF to pull approximately 700 tons of glass per day, every day, around the clock. The furnace is critical to the plant’s operation and any shutdown is unacceptable. However, the plant suffered a capacitor bank failure that caused the plant’s power factor to drop below the threshold where the company could claim valuable credits on its monthly energy bills. The loss of savings from the credits persisted for more than two years. Guardian Glass needed to improve its power factor over 95% to receive a monthly credit on utility bills.
The Solution
To address the challenge, Guardian Glass turned to Schneider Electric to install new capacitor banks, power monitoring equipment, and software. Schneider provided reliability and efficiency through EcoStruxure Power Monitoring Expert, VarSet™ capacitor banks, and PowerLogic™ meters. These solutions were backed by a Power Advisor Digital Service Plan and Power Quality Maintenance Contract. The VarSet capacitor banks were chosen to keep the power factor consistent throughout plant operations. PowerLogic meters provided Guardian Glass with important visibility into power usage. In addition, EcoStruxure Power Monitoring Expert software gave Guardian Glass full visibility of power factor, real-time power, capacitor bank steps, and various alarms for any issues with the system.
Operational Impact
  • Guardian Glass now has the ability to determine power distribution to various processes in the plant.
  • The analytics guide managers on how to improve efficiency and reduce energy usage.
  • The company can now monitor voltage sags and determine if the cause is from the utility or within the plant.
  • Guardian Glass is covered by the EcoStruxure Power Advisor Digital Service plan that offers peace of mind with energy expertise and on-site assistance.
Quantitative Benefit
  • 97% power factor restored
  • 4% monthly credit on utility bills
  • Cost savings enabled a two-year ROI

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