Emerson Network Power debuted its ASCO PowerQuest Test Reports designed to help facilities comply with NFPA¹, NEC², and JCAHO³ reporting requirements for on-site power system testing, operation, load profiling and peak load shaving.

ASCO PowerQuest Reports automate the manual, time-consuming data logging required to comply with NFPA 99 and 110 for exercising emergency power systems, NEC 220.87 for documenting actual on-site power demand load, and JCAHO requirements for helping ensure reliable power for life safety loads.

The Reports’ data format parallels the requirements of reporting codes and standards. It includes monthly testing, peak load shaving, frequency and test length, date and time of test, equivalent loads (load banks), load run/banks for diesel-powered emergency power systems only, and cold starts.

The PowerQuest Reports also provide three additional, high-value applications. First, they capture data on the operational integrity of selected power system equipment, such as a transfer switch, or even its components. Second, they automatically log data during actual power outages to help meet exercising requirements when manual data logging may not be possible or accurate. Third, they provide data that can be used as a diagnostic tool to determine the cause of operational issues and as a predictive tool for maintenance and failure analysis.

With the touch of a single button or upon actual utility failure, the reports log, compile, interpret, archive and distribute data captured from engine-generators and automatic transfer switches. Parameters include percent of load, compared to 30 percent of genset nameplate rating, engine exhaust temperature, testing duration and frequency, a long list of time delays, voltage and amperage for each phase, and automatic transfer switch transfer and re-transfer times.

ASCO Reports record time-of-use load profile data 24/7. They process the data and produce a 30-day report that shows load demand branch-by-branch and for the entire emergency power system. The data show day-to-day and seasonal load demand variability of building, mechanical and clinical systems. When connected to an energy management system, ASCO test reports can show load demand for normal power for an entire campus.

Accurate and precise, test reports help eliminate the need for in-house personnel using clipboards and stopwatches, human error, renting multiple ammeters or out-sourcing the work.

ASCO reports comprise a series of graphs, charts, and tables and are compatible with any on-site power system.

Reports include software, ASCO Engine Gateways, and a 72E Ethernet connectivity module at the controller and power manager interface for automatic transfer switches. They can be integrated into virtually any on-site power SCADA⁴ system, or be configured independently. The reports use the same communications paths as automatic transfer switches and gensets, and can be operated remotely from virtually any computer screen, or at the power system. The reports criteria and performance thresholds can be set by the operator.

1. National Fire Protection Association, NFPA 99 (Health Care Facilities) and NFPA 110 (Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems)
2. National Electrical Code Article 220.87
3. Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
4. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition