SATEC’s BFM-II is the second generation of Branch Feeder Monitor™, providing energy management for multi-point power solutions. Ideal for both new and retrofit projects, the BFM-II automatically provides metering, demand and energy readings, logging and multi-tariff (TOU) data. The BFM-II monitors up to 18 three-phase circuits, 54 single-phase circuits, or any combination of single or three-phase circuits. This flexibility makes the BFM-II perfect for multi-tenant facilities such as residential projects, office buildings and shopping malls. Its modular design offers a selection of 18, 24, 30, 36, 42 or 54 channels to fit any requirement and to easily fit into existing panel boards or be flush mounted nearby, thus eliminating the need for expensive retrofit projects or for allocating extra space for the device.

The BFM-II supports power quality monitoring to identify existing and potential operation problems, such as overloading or malfunctioning due to voltage or current harmonics, or voltage sags and swell (contact SATEC for availability). The BFM-II utilizes High Accuracy Current Sensors (HACS), which measure and report the current consumed by each of the branch circuits at the panel board. For billing purposes, single or multiple circuits can be defined for each customer. This flexibility allows for a simple reassignment of circuit groups without wiring changes, and enables easy changes when tenants move in and out. Main panel board or load center installation makes for a valuable saving of both time and money. The BFM’s user-defined and easily configured alarm system enables users to take predictive maintenance action in order to avoid unnecessary outages.

BFM-II vs 3-Phase Meters

In comparison with 3-phase meters, the BFM-II offers a great saving of cost, time and space, compared with typical installation:

• A single BFM-II device replaces up to 18 three-phase meters
• Saves 60% of the hardware cost
• Saves 75% installation cost
• Saves 75% of the installation time, including wiring
• Saves 75% of panel space for 3-phase or 90% for single-phase
• The BFM-II uses only 1 TCP/IP address for all submeters, compared with up to 54 addresses when using separate meters, thus making better use of IP Addresses.

Highlights & Features

• Multi-channel submetering – up to 54 single-phase, 27 two-phase or 18 three-phase meters in a single device. Any combination of single-, two-, and three-phase consumers can be chosen up to a total of 54 current inputs.
• Automatic totalization energy from different consumers
• Modular design allows selection of 18, 24, 30, 36, 42 or 54 submeters
• Supports high accuracy current transformers with Class 0.5S accuracy
• 3-phase/2-phase/single-phase meters (true RMS, volts, amps, power, power factor, neutral current)
• Ampere/Volt demand meter
• Time-of-Use, 8 energy/demand registers x 8 tariffs, 4 seasons x 4 types of days, 8 tariff changes per day, easy programmable tariff schedule
• Complies with ANSI C12.1,C12.20 accuracy class 0.2%
• Meets IEC 62052-11 and IEC 62053-22 class 0.2S standards
• Automatic 120-day daily profile for energy and maximum demand readings (total and tariff registers) for each submeter
• Power quality monitoring including voltage and current harmonics (up to the 25th), voltage sags, voltage swells and interruptions (contact SATEC for availability)
• Event recorder for logging internal diagnostic events and setpoint operations
• Data recorders: programmable periodical data logs for each submeter
• Embedded programmable controller (4 control setpoints, programmable thresholds and delays) for each submeter
• Detachable optional 3.5” 320×240 pixels touch screen display with backlight
• Internal clock, keeping the clock running for years without external power
• Standard RS-485, Ethernet and USB ports
• Optional cellular communication port plug-in module
• Optional 9/18 digital inputs or 4 analog inputs module
• Modbus RTU, Modbus TCP, DNP3.0 and DNP/TCP communication protocols
• Easy field upgrading device firmware

Applications

Tenant Billing & Monitoring

Large and medium facilities, such as commercial buildings, residential complexes, shopping centers, malls, data centers and universities are facing more and more competitive environment in which tenants are seeking for more services in lower costs. Tenant billing and monitoring is a great solution to increase revenues with a permanent revenue stream to the facility owner while providing better service to tenants.

Substation Enhancement

The BFM-II is ideally designed to upgrade existing substations with electro-mechanical relays to provide real-time information and management lacking in these highly reliable devices.

Advantages:

• Ultra-rapid cost-effective substation upgrading without interruption of service
• Local and remote monitoring of relay & breaker operation
• Local and remote supervision using digital and analog inputs of Breaker Status indication
• Advance alerting of possible trips increases network reliability
• Preventive maintenance to reduce maintenance costs
• Long term memory of trend and load profiles
• Min/Max with time stamp of Amp demands
• Power Quality monitoring for Harmonics
• Digital fault recording (DFR) option for multichannel waveform capture of V & I for all monitored feeder circuits

Data Centers

Energy consumption of data centers is constantly rising, following the increase of computing performance. Monitoring the PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness—Total Facility Energy divided by the IT Equipment Energy) is essential. According to the US DoE (Department of Energy), data centers can achieve energy savings of 20-50% by utilizing today’s best practices, including “continuously monitor energy” and “monitor energy at all levels.”

Industrial Plants

Typically, industrial plants have many loads that are fed from the same MCC. It has been proven that online monitoring of the consumption down to a single load level results in energy saving of up to 30%. The BFM-II is the most compact and efficient method to monitor several loads located up to 200m from the device, with incomparable accuracy. The use of a single device rather than separate meters makes it easy to install and maintain as well as providing a single point for communication.