Energy-efficient distribution transformers in industry and commerce

Panel: Panel 5. Energy efficiency in industry

Authors:
Wolfgang Irrek, Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy
Research Group Energy, Transport and Climate Policy, Germany
Roman Targosz, Polish Cooper Promotion Centre, Poland
Frangiskos V. Topalis, National Technical University of Athens, Greece

Abstract

There are about 950,000 distribution transformers in Europe's industry and commerce, of which about 780,000 are liquid-filled and 170,000 dry-type transformers. They convert electrical energy supplied at medium voltage level to electrical energy at voltage levels needed in the firms. The distribution transformer fleet in industry and commerce is still dominated by traditional technology, averaging an operating efficiency in Europe of 98.15% (liquid-filled) and 98.40% (dry-type), with totalling electricity losses equal to 11.4 TWh/year in EU-27 in 2004. If all existing distribution transformers in Europe's industry and commerce were replaced by the most energy-efficient ones available today, 51.9% of these electricity losses could be reduced. If current replacement rates and expected economic developments are taken into account, up to 6.1 TWh electricity per year could be saved compared to BAU market behaviour within 15 years. A large part of these electricity saving potentials is economical from the perspective of the whole economy and from the perspective of industry and commerce.

The paper presents a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the technical and economic energy efficiency potentials of distribution transformers in industry and commerce in the EU-27. Based on this, strategies, policies and measures on European, national and company level are presented that can support the realisation of energy saving potentials (e.g. mandatory standards, information and training, labelling, and a calculation tool). The findings result from a recent study within the "Intelligent Energy Europe" programme of the European Commission.