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Professional-Electrician.com’s Norman Bradshaw recently took on the task of reviewing the Chauvin Arnoux PEL 103 Power Energy Logger, a datalogger that features remote communication and comprehensive data-gathering capabilities, and used his article to ask why more electricians are not taking advantage of datalogging in order to meet client demand for greater energy efficiency.

Bradshaw makes the point that this datalogger is both “simple to use” and effectively “does the rest” once you have plugged it in, connected it to the target circuit, and inserted the SD card. This, he argues, makes it a potentially lucrative revenue stream for professionals because an up front investment and a short time spent on installation allows you to provide the in-depth, detailed picture of electricity usage required by clients. Meanwhile, the ability to communicate remotely with the PEL 103 via an ethernet connection makes it easier and quicker to furnish the client with this important feedback as required rather than limiting analysis to when the device is immediately at hand. This saves a great deal of time as the detailed information garnered by the datalogger is available from a computer and no time is spent travelling to and from work places to check on electrical efficiency. Thus, argues Bradshaw, the professional’s ability to communicate a quick summary to a client is “greatly enhanced”.

He was notably impressed by the range of simple yet practical accessories that accompany the PEL 103, in particular the magnetic back which he describes as “one of the product’s star features” because it allows the device to be placed within a metal consumer unit. This both ensures that the instrument is clearly visible and is not in the way of other cables and wiring. Similarly, the coloured tags mean that “you always know which lead is which” and he remarks on the PEL 103’s ability to record neutral currents and distortions as well as identify voltage spikes. Further features singled out by Bradshaw include the “traffic light system” to show the current status of the device and the fact that harmonics can be checked up to the 50th order for both neutral and live currents which provides both depth and choice.

The object of Bradshaw’s positive review, the Chauvin Arnoux PEL 103 Power Energy Logger, is available from Test-Meter with all the accessories that are praised in the Professional-Electrician.com article.