Glossary
Solar Panels:
The solar panels convert sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity.
Inverter:
The inverter converts the DC electricity into alternating current (AC) electricity, which is then sent to the electrical panel.
Electrical Panel:
The electrical panel (or “breaker box”) receives the AC electricity from the inverter and then distributes the electricity to power your home or business.
Utility Meter:
The utility meter measures the energy use of your home or business. Any excess power produced by your solar system is transmitted to the utility grid, which the power company credits against your bill at a rate that varies by state and local utility.
Electricity Grid:
The utility grid is the power company’s infrastructure used to send electricity to your home or business – i.e., the power lines. With most solar systems, the home or business stays connected to the utility grid.
Solar Power Monitoring System:
The monitoring system, which can be accessed from your computer or smartphone, tracks your energy production and consumption in real-time and ensures that your system is running properly.
Efficient Lighting
LED lights have a longer life and reduce energy use compared to incandescent bulbs by up to 90%. The lighting of products and displays are essential in the retail space and retrofits to improve sales. The initial investment can be prohibitive to making the change, which is where Broadreach can facilitate your change to a more efficient and cheaper lighting future.
Load Shifting
Load shifting moves electricity consumption from one time period to another. This allows for cost reductions from taking advantage of arbitrage opportunities presented by Time of Use and Demand Charge tariff structures. As control systems and sensor technologies have developed load shifting has become a possibility for many applications.
Variable Speed Drives
A variable speed drive (VSD or variable frequency drive VFD) is a type of adjustable-speed drive for electric motors. VSDs have the ability to significantly reduce energy consumption of motors, particularly those deployed in fluid transfer applications such as pumping and compression.
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Refrigeration
HVAC and Refrigeration technology is forever improving, this combined with the need to have systems right-sized to their applications to be the most efficient means there are many opportunities to save. Technologies that improve the performance include improved refrigerants, implementing multi-unit devices with VSD, implementing Solar Cool™ technology and right-sizing the equipment.