DCI Charged-up Over Power Manager for SmartStruxure solution
Recently released Power Manager for SmartStruxure™ solution combines embedded power monitoring and management with HVAC energy management in a single view. For Dynamic Controls Inc. (DCI), a longtime Schneider Electric partner, Power Manager is a welcome and complementary offer, creating new opportunities for more power metering sales.
DCI is excited about the potential for Power Manager for SmartStruxure solution to open doors with customers using Schneider Electric BMS as well as those using third party systems. A Schneider partner since the 1980s, DCI has a lot of experience using Andover Continuum™. However, it recognizes Power Manager as a gateway offer to SmartStruxure solution.
Power Manager for SmartStruxure solution not only helps customers save energy and improve facility operations by preventing potentially costly power disruptions, it also helps partners save critical time so they can offer more comp- etitive metering offers.
“I used to spend hundreds of hours plotting meters point-by- point,” says Walt Neikirk, Operations Support at DCI. “Now, with Power Manager for SmartStruxure solution, I type in the type of meters I’m using and all the points, settings and graphics are already there.”
Customer Successes
DCI has installed Power Manager at two very different customer settings: an educational institution and at heavy equipment manufacturing facility.
The educational institution, an Andover Continuum customer since the late 1980s, is a leader in enacting energy efficiency measures. Its wind power, geothermal, and other conservation efforts are showcased with reports and dashboards on monitors and kiosks throughout campus. When campus facility managers became concerned about power factor and wanted to add power monitoring alarms and meters to their solution, DCI installed both third party and Schneider Electric power meters with Power Manager to log data.
“The college’s chief technology officer immediately recognized the value in Power Manager once we explained the monitoring and reporting features, and he really liked that the data and information stays local within their own systems,” says Neikirk, who adds that the college had been considering a competitor’s dashboards. “We immediately saved on labor because the widgets and graphics within the StruxureWare™ Building Operation software make it fast and accessible with little set up work required. The dashboards are built in and it’s as easy as ‘point and click.’”
Additionally, Power Manager is the first step toward SmartStruxure solution because the Enterprise Server is in place. “When the Continuum Infinet conversion tool is available, we’ll be ready to quickly and easily transition the Continuum system to StruxureWare™ Building Operation,” adds Neikirk.
In the manufacturing facility, DCI encouraged its customer to utilize Power Manager for SmartStruxure solution for a very high profile, multi-million dollar WAGES monitoring project. The customer has a third party utilities SCADA system in place, and they have to pay for every dashboard change they make – a timely and costly endeavor. “We demonstrated how easy it is to create dashboards and reports within SmartStruxure solution,” says Neikirk. While the customer’s before-and-after monitoring results will be complete by year-end, the anticipated outlook is positive.
Lessons Learned
As with any new product or offer, a learning curve is to be expected. DCI shares their perspective:
Getting up-to-speed on power and metering is worth the effort
Power is a new area for DCI, a leader in HVAC system integration for 35 years. “We had to educate ourselves on power management; Schneider’s Power Manager Technical Training was extremely thorough and helpful in understanding the offer and the value of combining power with HVAC energy management in non-critical facilities,” says Neikirk. “Now we feel absolutely confident offering Power Manager to our customers.”
Installation is easier with Schneider Electric meters
Set up is much easier when you use all Schneider meters and bring those in directly to Power Manager. Third party meters require additional work to set up, but EcoStruxure™ Web Services makes those meter points available in StruxureWare Building Operation so dashboards and reports are still “a breeze to set up.”
Ideal for new business as well as transition opportunities
Regardless of the BMS already in place, Power Manager can integrate easily with any system. When Power Manager is installed, the solution components are already in place when the customer is ready to transition to SmartStruxure solution or upgrade from their current provider.
New BMS Business Model
Doug Burton, Schneider’s Central Regional Sales Manager, shares DCI’s enthusiasm for Power Manager, believing it is a new business model for Partners and system integrators. “We are providing an opportunity for our valued partners to present a competitive metering offer to current customers as well as an entrée to any new customer with existing BACnet and Modbus meters. Based on my years of experience at Schneider, this is one of the more exciting new products we’ve ever offered.”
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