ABB expands intelligent energy monitoring technology

The InLine II fuse switch disconnector, with built-in metering and monitoring unit, supports more advanced energy management and speedy installation for smart commercial and industrial buildings with ABB Ability™ Electrical Distribution Control System (EDCS).  

 

ABB is providing a simple, effective way to integrate digital and smart monitoring capabilities into fusegear and switches by incorporating its ITS2 energy monitoring technology into a range of power products for greater coordination between Peer 2 Peer devices across the complete facility.  

 

Already widely used in the company’s SlimLine XRG switch disconnector fuses, the ITS2 is now available with InLine II fuse switch disconnectors, and as an add-on functionality for ABB OS switch fuses and ABB OT switch disconnectors. 

 

A unique solution, the ITS2 is available with all measuring and monitoring functionalities embedded into a single device requiring 80% less installation time compared to external energy meters. Installation is made quicker with factory fitted ITS2 units into fuse switch disconnectors. A typical installation with four or five fuse switch disconnectors, can often take more than an hour, but with the new InLine II it is done in just a few minutes.  

 

ITS2 offers more comprehensive sensing capabilities than conventional devices for current, voltage, power, energy consumption and temperature for use in smart commercial and industrial buildings. The integrated ITS2 energy monitor will also support facilities adopting renewable energy sources and complex distributed power generation, while sectors such as data centers can benefit from more precise energy monitoring and device analysis. 

 

ABB’s InLine II fuse switch disconnectors are used extensively in facilities to provide both a safety isolation function and control of a current. Unlike conventional devices, the ITS2 also monitors whether the switch contacts are open or closed and provides an electronic fuse monitoring (EFM) functionality that enhance safety.  Users can set thresholds for time and current and receive an alert when the thresholds are exceeded.  

 

The device connects switching and protection technologies to the cloud-based ABB Ability EDCS, enabling companies to use real-time measurement data to monitor and analyze their operations more efficiently. 

 

Jorge Lis, global product group manager for ABB’s switches and fusegear, said: “ABB is adding another level of control for smart commercial and industrial buildings. To save energy and reduce carbon emissions, industries need power distribution with more control, functionality and intelligence. Integrating our compact ITS2 energy monitor into switches and fusegear equipment makes the process clean and simple – that’s why ABB leads the way in digitalization.”  

 

The ITS2 energy-monitoring unit connects via gateway devices to the ABB Ability EDCS – a single, powerful SaaS solution with an intuitive user experience and access to data. With the help of ITS2, switches and fusegear can analyze and optimize electrical networks. The EDCS provides secure remote access to all the energy data and reports for each individual device as well as the complete facility. The end user can see all the data gathered from ITS2 and other enabled devices in the electrical distribution system. 

 

The ITS2 sends energy data via communication protocol such as Modbus RTU to the gateway: an incomer Emax 2 or Tmax XT circuit breaker, TruONE Automatic Transfer Switch, or one of a range of ABB Ekip UP digital units can provide the link to ABB’s EDCS.   

 

Configuring the ITS2 is just as quick with ABB’s universal Ekip Connect 3 software. Parameters including switch size, product, nominal current, feeding direction and slave address can all be completed on or off-site with a laptop in less than two minutes.