One of the most significant costs at processing and industrial facilities is energy, says measurement tools supplier Comtest, local supplier of testing equipment manufacturer Fluke.

While many managers view energy as an unavoidable expense, in reality, it is a variable cost that can be monitored and managed, significantly improving the bottom line.

Fluke is offering the Fluke 1732 and 1734 three-phase energy loggers – powerful tools that are designed to more easily identify sources of electrical energy waste.

Easy to set up and use, and capture key measurements – voltage, current, power, power factor, and other variables like temperature – the 1732/1734 enable managers to understand their energy use and correlate it to their activities.

The loggers are also Fluke Connect compatible. Data can be viewed from anywhere through the Fluke Connect mobile app, potentially reducing the number of times a technician must open a panel while wearing full protective equipment.

With the Fluke 1732 and 1734 three-phase energy loggers, facility managers and electricians can easily discover wasted energy to reduce energy bills. Subsequently, the electricians will be able to perform energy studies over a range of electrical power and energy parameters, and perform simple, current-only load studies.

Electricians can also use the 1734 to perform advanced energy and load studies with connected data from Fluke Connect modules. “Energy use in industrial plants is one of the most important areas where costs can be reduced, yet most facility managers are not even aware of how their energy is consumed,” says Fluke Industrial Group president Paul de la Port.

“The Fluke 1732 and 1734 three-phase energy loggers deliver a complete picture that identifies opportunities for savings and provides actionable data to reduce energy costs to improve the bottom line,” says De la Port.

The Fluke energy loggers are capable of measuring all three phase conductors, which includes three flexible current probes.

They also offer comprehensive logging whereby more than 20 separate logging sessions can be stored on the instruments and all measured values are automatically logged to retain measurement trends.

Notably, the energy loggers can be powered through the measurement circuit, eliminating the need to find a power outlet and run power cord extensions.

Both loggers offer fully integrated logging, which connects other Fluke Connect devices to the Fluke 1734 to simultaneously log up to two other measurement parameters – virtually any parameter available on a Fluke Connect wireless digital multimeter or module.

The loggers can both be set up completely in the field through the front panel, negating the need to return to the workshop for download and set up or to take a computer to the electrical panel. Data can be downloaded directly to a USB memory stick or by local WiFi. The quick, guided, graphical setup ensures that the right data is captured every time, and the intelligent verification function indicates correct connections have been made, reducing user uncertainty.

The 1732 and 1734 also include the Energy Analyze Plus application software that delivers more advanced analysis capabilities to better correlate data and make better decisions.

“Both loggers are rated 600 V CAT IV/1 000 V CAT III – the highest safety rating in the industry – for safe use at the service entrance and downstream,” concludes De la Port.