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THE
WORLD RUNS ON ENERGY
 The
conservation of the environment and the planet's resources,
among them energy, is today a concern that extends to
all of man's fields of action.
Considering the advances brought by progress, general
interest has arisen regarding the reasonable and efficient
use of energy, since from a quantitative and qualitative
point of view all the projects we start up will depend
on it.
PROJECTS
USING ENERGY
Architects, engineers, technical installers and final
users must take into consideration, from the original
concept and design of any project, the balance that must
necessarily exist between the power consumption and the
installation that must support it. .
LOSS OF ENERGY
 The function
of a power cable is to distribute electric energy from
the source to a point of utilization. However, when electric
power flows through the cables, a percentage of said energy
is dissipated in the form of heat, which reduces the efficiency
levels.
There is no better moment to plan an efficient power distribution
than at the time of designing the project. Later on it
will be more difficult and costly to incorporate improvements
into the circuit.
In commercial and industrial operations, energy cost is
an increasingly important factor. From the beginning,
efforts are made to avoid unnecessary future expenses.
For example, in public supply networks, cost projections
should be made for a 20 to 30-year time outlook.
In Peru, 52% of the installed power supply comes from
thermal power plants. The use of efficient conductors
implies saving fuel, which also means less contamination.
contaminación.
Remember
that lost energy is never recovered and becomes an overcost,
which is paid for by the final user!
When
we consider the cost of generating electric power compared
to the cost of implementing a program to save it, it will
always benefit the country, in general, to develop systems
aimed at optimizing power efficiency.
EFFICIENT
CONDUCTORS
In
recent years, a large number of electrical installations
have neither been expanded nor improved despite the greater
consumption of power. Here it is worth pointing out that
just by increasing the conductor section, the losses of
energy can be reduced to the minimum..
HOW
AND WHAT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN SELECTING A CONDUCTOR
In
order to select the size of a conductor properly we must
take the following into consideration:
The
current's capacity should be at least equal (although
greater is recommended) than that demanded by the circuit
or the load in extreme conditions.
The voltage fall in load extremes. (According to the National
Electricity Code this varies from 3% to 5% according to
the load or overload in emergency conditions). A value
of about 3% is recommended.
The short circuit capacity, that is, the overload that
a circuit can bear, will depend directly on how the connection
has been designed.
The calculation of the lost energy due to the conductor's
lesser resistance.
The technical-financial analysis of the conductor selected.
It is important to note that by increasing the conductor
section we are expanding the load resistance. But, up
to what point? The answer is: until the savings in losses
justify the greater initial investment in a higher caliber
section. .
When
we select the proper electric conductor size, we save
energy and everyone wins .
ADVANTAGES
OF COPPER CONDUCTORS IN LOW-VOLTAGE DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS
- A
copper conductor is the most efficient because it has
less resistivity.
- Copper
has a greater conduction capacity. For example, if we
take a copper conductor and another made of aluminum,
both with the same caliber, the former has a 28%-greater
conduction capacity than the latter.
- Joule
Effect losses are 58% less in copper conductors vs.
aluminum conductors. Copper shows a greater voltage
fall than aluminum.
- Copper
conductors do not need to use bimetallic jointing sleeves
or connectors.
-
The presence of copper in conductors guarantees the
elimination of probable faults caused by false contacts
due to non-conductive oxide.
- The
utilization of copper conductors provides a greater
facility in the use of terminal welding and/or jointing.
In
addition to the foregoing, copper is a source of work
for thousands of Peruvians, from the extraction and refining
processes to its transformation. And, we should not forget
that copper contributes positively to the trade balance.
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