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CASE STUDY / PALM OIL MANUFACTURING — ENERGY AUDIT
33.7% of the power drawn from the grid was doing no useful work.

42 days of continuous monitoring on a single heat exchanger pump circuit at a palm oil refinery uncovered a critically low power factor, two unexplained multi-day shutdowns, and a persistent phase imbalance — all invisible without minute-by-minute sensor data.

0.663
Avg power factor — TNB minimum is 0.85
6,418 kWh
Total energy consumed, 42-day period
59.6%
Equipment utilisation — 703 of 1,008 hours
MYR 32,347
Estimated annual cost, this circuit alone
/ THE ASSET
A continuous-process pump circuit at a palm oil refinery.

Wiser's sensor monitored one electrical circuit at the facility — an exceptionally flat 9.13 kW load profile characteristic of a centrifugal pump, air compressor, or refinery stage running at steady state. 70,799 one-minute readings were captured with zero data gaps.

Monitoring period17 Feb – 30 Mar 2026 (42 days)
Sampling interval60 seconds
Total readings70,799 — 100% data completeness
Channels loggedCurrent, power, PF, voltage × 3 phases
Avg active power (running)9.13 kW
Peak demand recorded10.01 kW
/ THE PROBLEM
Four findings, invisible without minute-by-minute data.

A monthly utility bill shows none of this. Only continuous, high-resolution monitoring surfaces a structural inefficiency running 100% of operating hours, two unexplained shutdown events, and a persistent phase imbalance.

Power factor critical
0.663 avg — 100% of operating hours below the 0.85 TNB minimum
Two unexplained shutdowns
~165 combined hours of zero production, root cause unconfirmed
Phase 3 overload
7.7% more current than Phase 1, consistent across all 42 days
No visibility between audits
Structural waste compounds daily with nothing to flag it in real time
/ THE SOLUTION
For every 13.78 kVA drawn, only 9.13 kW did useful work.

Wiser's non-invasive sensor tapped current, power, power factor, and voltage on all three phases without touching the circuit. The remaining 10.33 kVAR circulates as reactive current — generating heat and occupying conductor capacity without contributing to output.

Active power (useful work)9.13 kW
Reactive power (wasted)10.33 kVAR
Apparent power (grid draw)13.78 kVA
Reactive power ratio33.7% of apparent power
Phase 3 runs consistently hotter — before it costs you a motor.

Phase 3 draws 19.17A on average — 7.7% higher than Phase 1's 17.78A — persistent across all 42 days. Sustained imbalance elevates motor operating temperature and shortens insulation lifetime. Voltage quality, by contrast, was excellent throughout — zero readings below the 220V threshold.

Phase current imbalance4.3% (NEMA caution zone)
Phase power imbalance11.4%
Voltage range, all 3 phases238V – 253V (compliant)
Shutdown events detected2 — Mar 2–6 and Mar 26–30+
/ THE CONCLUSION
Power factor correction pays for itself in 6–24 months.

Correcting power factor to ≥0.95 cuts current draw ~30%, eliminates reactive-power surcharge exposure entirely, and saves an estimated MYR 4,700–9,700/year on this circuit alone — before accounting for the rest of the facility.

Install APFC
Target PF ≥ 0.95 → MYR 4,700–9,700/yr saved
Classify both shutdowns
Root-cause and quantify lost production
Rebalance phase loading
Reduce imbalance below 2%, cut motor thermal stress
Expand facility-wide
Full energy baseline and real-time anomaly alerting
Find the waste hiding in your own utility bill.
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