PowerEx Live offers networking opportunities for professionals working in Genset, CHP, Data Centre and Consultancy industries. The team will be available to chat with customers about how load banks ensure uptime in business-critical industries.

Paul Brickman, Commercial Director at Crestchic, commented, “Our reliance on power, and ongoing power transition, means that it is vital that we’re prepared for the potential devastation caused by outages. To mitigate this risk, load banks are integral to the commissioning and ongoing testing of backup power sources and generators. PowerEx is a great opportunity to meet with potential customers to help them to plan their power resilience strategies, but it’s also a very valuable event in terms of networking with other power industry suppliers. We’re looking forward to catching up with customers and industry colleagues at this years event.” 

Crestchic’s range of solutions include:

• Manufacture and supply of load banks from 20kW up to 7000kW.
• Large multi-megawatt, medium voltage load bank packages to test and synchronise multi-genset systems on a common bus with a lagging power factor
• Resistive-reactive load banks for testing the whole system operation in an emergency change-over scenario
• Data centre specific solutions such as Resistive-only load banks and Rack mounted server emulators for heat load- testing
• Capacitive load banks to test with the leading power factor often associated with servers

PowerEx Live is organised by one of the leading publications companies in the field of power generation and energy today, Power Media International Group Ltd. For more information about the event, visit the website at https://www.powerexlive.co.uk/about 

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Joining over 10,000 like-minded professionals, decision-makers, pioneers, experts and suppliers who are collectively working towards achieving next-generation data centre capabilities, the Crestchic team will be on stand for the two-day event on the 8^th and 9^th of March 2023 to showcase our product offering, including:

• Resistive-only load banks typically up to 300kW for heat load testing
• Rack mounted server emulators for heat load- testing
• Capacitive load banks to test with the leading power factor often associated with servers
• Large multi-megawatt, medium voltage load bank packages to test and synchronise multi genset systems on a common bus with a lagging power factor
• DC load banks to test UPS systems for close battery analysis and discharge performance
• Resistive-reactive load banks for testing the whole system operation in an emergency change-over scenario

Paul Brickman, Group Commercial Director for Crestchic comments:

“As our reliance on data increases, it is more important than ever that data centres can test their facilities under real working conditions to ensure power supplies cannot be interrupted.

“Preventing power outages and maintaining productivity is key for these mission-critical environments. Load banks are a key part of both the data centre commissioning and ongoing testing of backup power solutions, as well as for heat load testing to mitigate risk during operation.

“As always, we are keen to meet decision-makers from the data centre market, who are looking to improve how they manage power for new and existing data centre campuses.”

Building on past successes, this event is for anyone looking to develop their understanding of the data centre market, and source solutions and service providers that can support them in cost management and risk mitigation.

Register for your free ticket here to be part of the world’s largest gathering of data centre professionals and end users.

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The PowerEx Live event aims to offer the perfect networking opportunities for professionals across the Genset, CHP, Data Centre and Consultancy industry sectors. The team will be on on hand to meet with customers and prospects to chat to customers about the role of load banks in ensuring uptime in industries where power is business critical.  

The hotly anticipated AMPS Awards for Excellence event is being held in the evening at the same location, with Crestchic nominated for a number of categories, including Company of the Year and Engineer of the Year. 

Paul Brickman, Commercial Director at Crestchic, commented, “Diversifying the power generation mix is high on the worldwide agenda in 2022, especially with energy shortages dominating the news. As the world looks to alternative sources of power, demand is also increasing. Our reliance on power and data means that it is vital that we’re prepared for the potential devastation caused by outages. To mitigate this risk, load banks are integral to the commissioning and ongoing testing of back-up power sources and generators, making them an important part of any power resilience strategy.”

Crestchic’s range of solutions include:

• Manufacture and supply of load banks from 20kW up to 7000kW.
• Large multi-megawatt, medium voltage load bank packages to test and synchronise multi-genset systems on a common bus with a lagging power factor
• Resistive-reactive load banks for testing the whole system operation in an emergency change-over scenario
• Data centre specific solutions such as Resistive-only load banks and Rack mounted server emulators for heat load- testing
• Capacitive load banks to test with the leading power factor often associated with servers

Paul concluded, ”PowerEx is a great opportunity to meet with potential customers to help them to plan their power resilience strategies, but it’s also a very valuable event in terms of networking with other power industry suppliers. We’re looking forward to catching up with friends and colleagues at this years’ event, and to celebrating the best of our industry at the AMPS Awards.” 

PowerEx Live has won a solid reputation as a quality networking and industry event, and is organised by one of the leading publications companies in the field of power generation and energy today, Power Media International Group Ltd. For more information about the event, visit the website at https://www.powerexlive.co.uk/about

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A Mercedes-Benz ACTROS 2540 30ft HIAB rigid lorry with mounted crane, which has a 10.7-litre straight-six engine that produces 290kW (394 hp), has been added to the fleet. The vehicle is fitted with a platform body and rear-mounted 34 tonne/metre Fassi F365 crane which can be used to offload products. It also features an outstanding four-star Direct Vision Standard safety rating which effectively ‘future-proofs’ Crestchic against Transport for London’s current and planned Direct Vision Standards.

The truck’s relatively low floor and driving position translate into excellent direct visibility, thanks to its ClassicSpace L-cab with 320mm engine tunnel, and 70-series low-profile tyres. Our drivers have been particularly impressed by the innovative MirrorCam system which relays a clear and broad field of vision to a pair of 15-inch screens on the cab’s A-pillars. The latest emergency braking design adds cameras to the mix which means that at speeds of up to 50 kph, Active Brake Assist 5 can now employ full braking. The team has put in a lot of work with Mertrux and Mercedes-Benz Trucks to get the specification of this Mercedes-Benz ACTROS 2540 30ft HIAB lorry absolutely right. The result is a vehicle that’s perfectly suited to our requirement for working in busy urban areas.

Similarly, the MirrorCam system is incorporated in our new Mercedes-Benz Actros 2546 LS Tractor Unit which also complies with the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emissions Zone) and the DVS (Direct Vision Standard) regulations. ULEZ and DVS are intended to better protect the environment and vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists. As other cities across the UK have suggested they could soon adopt these schemes, this new addition to our fleet puts us in a great position for the future.

Jo Price, UK Rental Manager, commented “We’re delighted with these new additions.  These new vehicles continue to add value to our competition-beating products and service.”

Please click the relevant country If you need a solution local to you: France   Germany   Middle East    USA

If you require a quote for a load bank package, please contact us here: Contact Form

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Electricity under lockdown
Life under lockdown has led to a shift in the daily routines of millions of people. Offices with banks of computers and power-hungry air conditioning are closed, factories are operating on a skeleton staff or are temporarily shut, shops and commercial centres are on lockdown. The electrical demands of commercial and industrial settings have lessened significantly. At the same time, the lockdown has shifted the demands of consumers. Data suggests we’re getting up and staying up later, shifting our patterns of energy consumption along with our body clocks, while the massive increase in subscriptions to the likes of Netflix and Disney Plus is also evidence of the trend towards increased power consumption during the evening.

This pattern is being borne out by electricity networks across the globe. In New York, power consumption during the morning rush hour has fallen by as much as 18%, while Japan has recorded a 5% drop in power use during weekdays. In the UK, the National Grid has warned that record low demand for electricity during the coronavirus lockdown could see supply outstrip demand which, in turn, could lead to blackouts.

Why is fluctuating demand an issue?
It stands to reason that blackouts are likely to occur when the demand for electricity exceeds supply. Conversely, too much electricity can also be a problem, causing the frequency on the grid to rise and potentially causing damage to infrastructure as well as problems on local energy grids. The combination of high levels of power generation and low demand can also reduce the energy system’s resilience to sudden changes in frequency, which can lead to temporary blackouts.
In April 2020, just as the UK government announced the extension of lockdown plans, National Grid published a statement which suggested that demand for electricity could fall 20% below normal levels, potentially leading to an oversupply of electricity and subsequent issues with continuity of power. Put simply, the UK may experience blackouts.

Balancing supply and demand
Historically, power in the UK has been supplied by a small number of large power stations, such as coal or nuclear. These huge power generation plants are inflexible, taking hours to shut down safely, reducing their ability to make any fast changes to supply. As supply evolves and the world switches towards greener and more sustainable sources of power, there is even more variability in supply – bringing with it further fluctuations along with an ability to be more responsive to change.

Flexible windfarms can power down quickly, switching off at short notice to avoid overwhelming the grid. Hydropower also offers a solution, harnessing excess energy to pump water into lakes into order to effectively stem the flow of power to the grid. While battery storage is seeing increased investment, further work is needed before it provides a viable solution to storing sufficient energy to balance grid fluctuations. Yet, despite these measures and their ability to be more responsive to changing demand, there’s no denying that the increased prevalence of smaller, intermittent sources can themselves result in varying power outputs and instability in supply. The high frequencies caused by high supply coupled with low demand can be very damaging to the transmission and distribution infrastructure, making HV cables bulge and putting transformers and switchgear under greater strain, as power becomes greater than original directional flow design. This was already an issue in areas of major solar generation, such as the South West.
In ‘normal’ circumstances, the grid’s frequency control demand management programme would help to mitigate these fluctuations. Major commercial and industrial consumers are incentivised to scale back or rapidly ramp-up their consumption of power to balance peaks and troughs. While pre-agreeing this pattern is a plausible option, using it as a way to mitigate risk in times of crisis isn’t something that can easily be achieved. Very few businesses have processes that they can turn up quickly to increase demand to the grid and, with many of the UK’s high-intensity power consumers currently inactive due to shutdown, there’s a declining pool of candidates willing and able to do so.

The role of load banks
A load bank offers the perfect power consumption solution to the issue of oversupply, providing a fast-acting, safe, major energy user that can be easily “plugged” into the grid. In simple terms, they can be used to manage and shed power overloads in order to prevent damage. Excess energy can be diverted from the energy network and power lines into load banks, which can then be safely dissipated as hot air.

Load banks are designed to replicate, prove and verify the real-life demands on critical power systems. As such, they are most often used to test back-up power generators and back up power systems. With modern life absolutely reliant on electricity to power everything from our personal lives to our transport, our businesses to our hospitals, load banks have a critical role to play in ensuring continuity of supply. Their role in shedding and dissipating overloads is lesser-known. Yet, in testing times, none the less valid in terms of ensuring the UK has the power it needs – especially with critical infrastructure such as hospitals reliant on uninterrupted supplies.

Whilst load banks have only recently played a small part for balancing the grid, load bank rental offers a viable, immediate and temporary solution to the issue of oversupply. With stability of supply reliant on the grid keeping the frequency at 50hz, load banks can act as a pressure relief valve, making a discernible, safe and immediate difference in an emergency situation, mitigating the risks caused by oversupply and reducing the likelihood of the UK being left without power.

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At 288 metres high, 22 Bishopsgate is one of the tallest buildings in London’s skyline. With aspirations of being a ‘vertical village’, the building offers 32 acres of mixed-use space, from business and office space to a huge food and dining area, gym, spa and innovation hub. As one of London’s most high-profile developments, the 62 storey-high commercial tower is also set to embrace the latest technology – making power resilience key to its success.

Powering critical infrastructure

A biometric security system will use facial recognition software to grant access to the building, while a building-specific app will give each user the ability to personalise everything from the temperature to the level of light through the windows. Eight mobile phone beacons will transmit to major phone networks and a network of lifts will transport buildings and goods the height of the tower.

For all of this to work, of course, it is vital that the building has a constant and unwavering electricity supply. Any interruptions in supply would mean chaos, with entry systems and lifts failing to operate, connectivity cut and businesses grinding to a halt. To avoid this potential catastrophe, the contractor, Bells Power Solutions, turned to Crestchic Loadbanks to supply the load testing equipment required to commission and maintain the building’s backup power systems.

The vital role of load testing

The backup power generators, also supplied by Bells, have been specified to ensure that they successfully integrate into the building’s design at the same time as offering reliable power with the lowest possible emissions. When synchronised together, the generators are able to deliver 13.5MVA of power at 11 kV – enough power for a small town.
However, as with any type of engine, generators themselves require ongoing maintenance to ensure that they will operate as they should if the need arises. For a building of this size – which will cater to the needs of 12,000 people – back-up power failure is a risk not worth taking.

John Shilton, Rental Sales Manager at Crestchic Loadbanks, explains, “Using Crestchic’s load bank technology at the commissioning stage and for periodic maintenance thereafter can reduce the risk of breakdowns by essentially imitating the operational or ‘real’ load that a generator would use in operational conditions. By undertaking this testing, Bells Power Solutions are ensuring the generators will operate as expected and fulfil their role of protecting the building’s power infrastructure if required. As far as we know, Level 57 of 22 Bishopsgate, where the generators were installed and tested, is the highest that any load banks have ever carried out testing!”

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Jo Price, Crestchic’s UK Hire Manager, said: “We received a request to supply loadbanks for testing and commissioning two new generators at a well known building in London.

“The hire lasted two-weeks with the generators  commissioned successfully.”

Founded in 1983, Crestchic is one of the world’s leading specialist manufacturers of loadbanks which are used in the testing of power supplies in the most demanding climactic and environmental conditions across seven continents. Operating from locations in the UK, North America, Singapore, Netherlands, France, Germany and UAE, the company is at the forefront of innovation and design, with thriving sales and rental operations and a loyal and growing customer base worldwide.

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