How Do Industrial Energy Saving Devices Work, and Where Do They Fit in a Factory Power System?

Oct 25

7 min read

Engineers and facility managers often ask the same practical question about an energy saving device: what does it do to the electricity, and where does it sit in the plant? The answer matters because a device that is hard to place, or hard to explain, is hard to approve.

This article explains the electrical background in plain terms, describes where an energy saving device connects in a factory power system, and sets out what it can and cannot be expected to do. It uses FORCE ESD — Energy Saving Device by ENPOSS as the worked example. After this first mention, the product is called FORCE ESD.

How does a factory power system deliver electricity?

A typical factory receives electricity from the utility at medium or low voltage. It then passes through a main breaker and a main distribution panel. From there, feeders carry power to sub-panels, motor control centers, lighting circuits, compressors, pumps, conveyors and process equipment.

The main distribution panel is the natural control point of the plant. Every kilowatt-hour the factory buys passes through it. That is why many power quality and energy tools are applied at or near this panel.

Three terms describe what flows through that panel:

Active power (kW): the power that does useful work, such as turning a shaft or producing heat. It is the quantity the utility meter bills as energy (kWh).
Reactive power (kVAR): the power that moves back and forth in magnetic and electric fields, for example in motor windings. It does no net work but loads the wiring.
Apparent power (kVA): the combined demand of the two. It determines how much current the conductors, transformers and breakers must carry.

Most factories are full of inductive loads such as motors, pumps and compressors. These loads draw reactive power as well as active power. The ratio between the useful part and the total is the power factor.

What does an energy saving device actually do?

There are several different technologies sold as energy saving products. They work on different parts of the electrical picture:

Capacitor banks supply reactive power locally, so less of it travels from the utility. They address kVAR and power factor.
Inverters (variable frequency drives) match motor speed to demand. They address how much power the motor needs in the first place.
Voltage reduction equipment lowers the supply voltage a little. It is installed in series with the load.
Current flow improvement devices are a different category again.

ENPOSS describes FORCE ESD as a current flow improvement device. According to the ENPOSS product principle page, it generates free electrons using tourmaline, a natural mineral, which increases electron density and improves conductivity. The stated results are reduced impedance, and reduced heat loss, noise, vibration and harmonic distortion. ENPOSS states that the overall effect is a reduction in active power use of 5 to 15 percent. The size of that effect depends on site conditions, the load and the measurement period, and it is not guaranteed for every installation.

The important point for a plant engineer is the target quantity. A capacitor bank compensates reactive power (kVAR), yet the utility bills active power (kW and kWh). ENPOSS positions FORCE ESD as acting on active power, which is the quantity on the bill. Many small businesses and residential sites are not billed for reactive power at all, so a device aimed only at kVAR gives them no bill benefit.

A useful way to picture it is water in a pipe. Air bubbles in the line obstruct flow. Removing the obstruction lets the same flow be delivered with less effort. Like every analogy this simplifies the physics, but it shows the intended effect: the same useful work, with less wasted energy along the way.

Where does an energy saving device connect in the power system?

Placement is where the practical differences between technologies show up. Series devices sit in the path of the load current. Parallel devices connect across the lines.

According to the ENPOSS installation method page, FORCE ESD uses a separate connection. It does not sit in the load path. In the standard installation:

The main breaker and all downstream breakers are turned off, and the absence of voltage is confirmed with an instrument.
The main panel cover is removed.
The unit is placed inside the main panel, or anywhere within 1 meter (39 inches) of the panel.
The unit's cable terminals are connected to the secondary side of the main breaker, on each phase.
The cables are tied neatly with the existing cables, the cover is closed, and the main breaker is turned on.
All equipment is checked for normal operation.

A second documented method connects the unit through a dedicated switch in the panel, so that it can be switched on and off on its own without touching the main breaker.

Two consequences follow for a factory:

No rewiring of the load circuits. The unit is not wired in series with motors or feeders, so the process loads are not interrupted by its presence.
A short outage window. Installation needs the panel de-energized for a short time. Planning that window with production is the main scheduling task.

ENPOSS states clearly that installation must be carried out by a qualified electrician, and the installation page itself says it should not be read as a procedure for panel work. In a plant, that means the work follows the same lockout, tagout and permit rules as any other panel work.

How is an energy saving device sized?

Sizing follows the capacity of the supply the unit is connected to. The ENPOSS model structure covers three configurations:

1-phase 2-wire for small single-phase supplies
3-phase 3-wire for balanced three-phase systems
3-phase 4-wire for three-phase systems with a neutral

Capacity ratings run from 5 kW up to 1,000 kW per unit, and the voltage range is low to high voltage, below 6,600 V. A plant with a larger load than one unit covers is typically handled by matching units to the main panel and, where relevant, to major sub-panels.

The practical inputs for a sizing conversation are simple: the supply type (phase and wire count), the voltage, and the connected or peak load at the panel. These are all on the nameplate or in the electrical drawings. This is why ENPOSS asks for facility type and power load when it prepares a recommendation.

What does this look like on real sites?

ENPOSS lists installation references by sector and capacity, without naming customers:

a commercial vessel at 1,800 kW (performance test in progress)
a refrigeration company at 750 kW
a port office at 500 kW
a logistics operation at 300 kW
a broadcasting company at 200 kW
a mobile carrier site at 50 kW

The common thread is not the industry but the electrical configuration: a main panel with continuous or variable electrical load, where the unit connects at the point of supply. Sites with long operating hours and steady loads, such as refrigeration and logistics, give the clearest before and after comparison, because there is more consistent energy use to measure.

What can an energy saving device not do?

Being clear about limits makes the technology easier to evaluate:

It does not replace efficient equipment. An old, oversized motor is still an old, oversized motor. Efficiency upgrades and an energy saving device address different losses.
It does not remove demand. If a plant runs more shifts or adds machines, consumption rises. The right comparison is against a baseline that accounts for production.
It is not a guarantee of a fixed percentage. The stated range is 5 to 15 percent reduction in power use, and the result at a given site depends on site conditions, the load profile, the measurement period and the utility tariff, and it is not guaranteed for every installation. A site should expect to be measured, not promised a number.
It is not a substitute for a power quality study where the plant has specific problems such as large harmonic sources or poor grounding.

The credibility of any energy saving claim rests on measurement. Independent test and inspection documents exist for FORCE ESD, and each one covers only the samples and conditions it was written for. The ENPOSS test certificates page lists them, and a companion article in this series explains how to read such a report and check that it supports the claim being made.

A practical sequence for evaluating an energy saving device in your plant

Collect the electrical facts. Supply voltage, phase configuration, main breaker rating, and recent monthly kWh and kW demand.
Identify the point of connection. Confirm which main panel the unit would connect to and that there is space within 1 meter.
Agree a baseline. Record power readings before installation, with production volume noted, so that the comparison afterward is fair.
Plan the outage window. Coordinate the short shutdown needed for panel work with production.
Install with a qualified electrician following the plant's safety procedures.
Measure again under similar conditions and compare to the baseline.

This sequence works for any energy saving technology. What changes between technologies is what you measure and where the device sits.

Frequently asked questions

Does FORCE ESD need rewiring of the plant?

No. According to ENPOSS, it connects to the secondary side of the main breaker on each phase and is not wired in series with the loads.

Where is FORCE ESD installed?

Inside the main panel or within 1 meter of it, connected to each phase on the secondary side of the main breaker.

Does it act on active or reactive power?

ENPOSS states that FORCE ESD reduces active power (kW), the quantity on the electricity bill, and that it also improves reactive power to a lesser degree.

What sizes are available?

From 5 kW to 1,000 kW, in 1-phase 2-wire, 3-phase 3-wire and 3-phase 4-wire configurations, for voltages below 6,600 V.

Next step

If you would like to check whether FORCE ESD suits your power system, send ENPOSS your supply type, voltage and load at the main panel. The team will recommend a model and describe how a before and after measurement can be arranged. See the FORCE ESD product overview, browse the FAQ, or contact ENPOSS for a free consultation.