Power watch: Monitoring and metering

Power monitors track power usage to verify billing and create an effective strategy for consumption and conservation. They will become even more useful with the implementation of enticing conservation incentives. Monitoring allows users to establish criteria and substantiate usage patterns during negotiations for favorable rates. Monitors also give users the ability to investigate the cause of a power problem. Poor power quality can shorten equipment life, leading to failure and costly downtime. Monitoring can identify which general area of the system or which specific pieces of equipment are generating unwanted levels of harmonic distortion. Once this is identified, corrective action can be taken. Power monitoring provides early notification of degrading electrical systems, equipment or cables, allowing corrective action to be taken in time to avoid costly downtime. Fault recording capabilities provide helpful information for quick, accurate troubleshooting.