New Industry Products

MGE UPS Systems Debuts Branch Circuit Monitor

December 14, 2000 by Jeff Shepard

MGE UPS Systems (Costa Mesa, CA) debuted the Branch Circuit Monitor, which was designed to address the issue of overloading power circuits by automatically monitoring the current on each of the 42-branch circuits. In addition, the monitor provides real-time information and immediate alarm notification when the current approaches the circuit breakers' trip point. The monitor also provides exact current consumption details on every circuit, information which MGE claims will eliminate thousands of hours of manual circuit measurements and allow for preventative maintenance actions.

The Branch Circuit Monitor features an infrared communication port to wirelessly download the current levels and alarm status of all branch circuits to a Palm Pilot. This data can then be uploaded to spreadsheets for billing purposes or analysis.

The system can monitor up to 2,646 circuits over one two-wire RS-485 ModBus network. When a branch circuit reaches a specific user-defined current, the monitoring system generates a warning alarm on both the local display and communications output. A second alarm activates at a higher current level to indicate that the breaker is approaching its tripping capacity. All alarms identify the specific circuit with the alarm condition. IN addition, users can program the alarm thresholds of breakers individually. Alarms are preset for 35A and 40A.

“One of the biggest reasons power disruptions occur is overloading circuits. With the average file server growing in power consumption each year, circuit loads are increasing with many pushing their limits," stated MGE UPS Systems product manager, Alan Katz. “The Branch Circuit Monitor is the best way to enhance the reliability of any critical power system and solves a troublesome issue for our customers. In the past, technicians had to manually test the circuits. Now, users will automatically know the status of their circuits well before any problems.

The UL-certified Branch Circuit Monitor lists for $5,000 per panel board and is sold as an option with MGE's Power Management Module.