Wilson Power Solutions

A query often asked by buyers (or users) goes reasonably as follows:

‘Why use refurbished or partially rebuilt equipment, thereby continuing old technology?

Surely newly designed & manufactured equipment would be more suitable?’ Fair questions & for many new prestige projects the answer would be affirmative. However there are still many situations, taking fitness for purpose & reliability as paramount considerations, and where particular oil filled equipment is already installed,risk assessment(s) in place and maintenance routines well understood & established that the older equipment will perform the required function and the client can save money.

Why should this be?

Historically, in the UK, much equipment purchased and installed by the Public Utilities in the past – C E G B, Scottish Electricity & Area Boards – was fully maintained and underutilized.

Hence when de commissioned at original site, whether oil filled transformer or switchgear, the condition is usually excellent and much operational life remains.

An example : a standard pattern distribution transformer recently acquired, 1000kva, produced 40 years ago by a well known manufacturer located in the east midlands on examination is in pristine condition, virtually no insulation deterioration or loss of life – ready to work for another 20 – 30 years if needed.

Yes the no load loss may have increased slightly but losses are still comparable with modern ‘standard loss’ units & the physical design, particularly HV disc coils (NOT a usual feature with modern units of same rating due to cost) make it inherently mechanically strong. This coupled with an attractive price saving compared to a new unit fulfills a market need particularly if req’d for relatively short time usage. Such units carry a 2 year warranty demonstrating our company’s confidence in these selected items.

Likewise with Switchgear – users with existing sets or suites of oil filled equipment having a long & reliable pedigree of satisfactory operation find the availability of similar/identical equipment attractive. Said equipment(s) are factory checked to original manufacture specifications and items replaced with original manufacturer approved parts if needed (eg current breaking contacts). Back in time it was assumed that ALL refurbishment of oil switchgear would have ceased by the year 2000. In 2008 quantity may have reduced but definite demand still exists & will probably continue unless finally ended by specific dictate from Europe.

Wilson’s ensure that both refurbished transformers & switchgear are routine factory tested to original BS and/or IEC Std. requirements prior to shipment to site. Some American Std requirements can also be accommodated.

Still concerned ? Yes – the Coy does also regularly scrap transformers and switchgear where existing condition does not meet the defined criteria set by the Coy for reliable re use and recovery is un economic. So the Coy advocates the continuing use of equipment where it can be demonstrated it is STILL fit for purpose and norms arising from current legislation and safety can be satisfied.

Why simply destroy every item of existing resource simply to feed the expanding need for scrap metal in China ?

bob bennett.

New for 2008 is the Wilson Power solutions BRISCA F1 Stock Car Racing team. The Team Driver will be Anthony Flanagan (133) who by day is part of the Wilson Power Solutions Sales team, and in his spare time is a F1 Stock Car Driver.

Anthony is currently in the final stages of preparing his car for the 2008 Season, and should hopefully have some photographs of the car when it returns from the paint shop by the time I enter the next post.

Anthony is also currently in the middle of preparing the Wilson Power solutions Transporter, which has had all the external conversions done.

At this moment in time the Transporter is at a local motorhome manufacture having all the living quarters installed, so hopefully it will all be ready in the next few weeks.

Wilson Power Solutions, home of Richard Wilson Dencol Ltd and Power & Distribution Transformers Ltd today announced their plans to be the first UK based electrical engineering company to go carbon neutral.

We have decided to act on the challenge of climate change and will commit to be a CarbonNeutral® company by this summer. We will be the first electrical engineering company to achieve this status in the UK and are looking to become one of the environmentally responsible pioneers in our industry.

Why are we doing this?

Climate change is increasingly recognised as a major global threat. It is widely accepted that the greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans are having a negative impact on the environment. The most important greenhouse gas arising from human activity is carbon dioxide [CO₂].

By using electricity generated from fossil fuels, burning gas for heating, driving a petrol (or diesel) car, every person is responsible for CO₂ emissions. We recognise our responsibility for emissions generated by running our business and pledge to decrease our energy consumption, business travel and waste generation to help reduce CO₂ emissions.

What is a carbon footprint?

The total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused directly by an individual, a company, an event or a product is called their carbon footprint. We calculate our carbon footprint by measuring our energy usage, petrol / diesel consumption and company travel and convert these figures to the equivalent in tons of CO₂ emissions.

What means CarbonNeutral?

Carbon neutral stands for achieving a net zero carbon footprint through both internal and external reductions of CO₂ emissions.

Internal reductions are things we do within our business and the way all our people behave i.e. switching off lights, recycling waste appropriately, cycling to work and installing more energy efficient operating equipment.

External reductions (called ‘carbon offsetting’) are reductions we make happen outside of our business. The way it works is that for every one ton of CO₂ we produce, we pay for an equivalent one ton of CO₂ to be saved through a project somewhere else in the world – like swapping kerosene in remote areas of India for ‘clean’ solar panels. One ton ‘offsets’ the other.

Our carbon offsetting will be organised by The CarbonNeutral Company.