Users of ABB drives will, in future, be able to see exactly how much energy they are saving on the drive’s control screen. This facility has been available on some ABB drives in the past, and has been a hidden option on others, but will now be standard on future drives from the company.

The drives will be able to calculate and display: the energy being saved by using a drive on an application (in kWh or MWh); the value of the energy saved in the local currency; and the carbon dioxide equivalent of the energy saved. The parameters will be shown on the drive’s alphanumeric display and accessed by pressing a combination of soft keys.

To calculate the energy savings, the drive’s on-board software will compare the energy consumed when a load such as a pump or fan is used direct-on-line, with the energy consumed when the drive is in control. To obtain the monetary savings, the user will have to input the local energy cost. The energy usage can also be converted into equivalent CO₂ emissions.

ABB says that the information can be used by plant engineers and energy managers to ensure that an application is operating efficiently, and by financial controllers and directors to keep a close eye on the running costs of a plant or process.