Procedure for Improving the Energy, Environmental and Economic Sustainability of Transformation Houses

Abstract

A procedure for improving the energy, economic and environmental sustainability of the transformation houses in low-voltage distribution networks is described in this paper. This procedure is based on the reduction of the transformer consumption, copper and core losses. Likewise, the procedure distinguishes between transformation houses with old and new transformers. The reduction of core losses, replacing transformers with others of lower power or that are more efficient, achieves significant improvements in energy and environmental aspects. The reduction of copper losses, and applying reactive compensation techniques, such as harmonic filtering and load balancing, applied in old and new transformation houses, have a greater impact on cost savings, especially when there are capacitive consumptions, as the Circular 3/2020 of the National Markets and Competition Commission of Spain determines. The procedure has been applied to an industrial transformation house, which has an old 1600 kVA transformer, resulting in significant economic savings and CO2 reductions of more than 60%, after replacing the current transformer with a more efficient one.

Assessment of Load Losses Caused by Harmonic Currents in Distribution Transformers Using the Transformer Loss Calculator Software

“…Stages (10), (11), (12), and (13). Determination of transformer load losses corresponding to fundamental (active, reactive, and imbalance) and non-fundamental frequency currents.…”

“…The losses are seen in the heat energy, resulting in the internal temperature of transformers being raised and leading to two important effects: The first is the deterioration of the transformer and a reduction in its lifetime [1, [5][6][7][8][9]. The second effect is the impact of the load losses of the transformer on the environment, measured as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions into the atmosphere [10][11][12]. These emissions are proportional to the energy consumed, that is, to the losses in the case of transformers, with the proportionality coefficient being the emission factor, provided by the grid managers of each country or region [13][14][15].…”