Voltage Optimisation
Energy Reduction & Savings Solutions
Voltage levels provided by power companies in the UK and other countries may not be optimal for most electrical equipment. Voltage Optimisation reduces mains voltage, saves energy and maximises efficiency.
What Is Voltage Optimisation?
Put simply, Voltage Optimisation is a form of Voltage Management specifically designed for reducing energy consumption. Voltage Optimisation is a term used around voltage management when a desire to reduce energy consumption by up to 10% is managed by adjusting and controlling voltage levels on a user’s site.
Voltage optimisation is a transformer-based technology, the principal is based around supplying a voltage level more suitable to the actual electrical device in order for it to perform its task more efficiently and in line with limits of European harmonised voltage while basic design is a low loss series connected transformer designed to optimise a whole site or individual loads to target the most optimisable loads.
How Does VO Work?
The National Grid delivers, on average, 242 volts to all UK users. With voltage optimised, electrical equipment works at optimum cost efficiency at 220 volts. All supply above 220v is waste.
Through Ohm’s law, optimising voltage on any supply produces instant kWh savings of up to 19%, which will give an instant reduction in electricity bills and carbon footprint. In addition, and as confirmed by the UK’s wiring regulations (BS7671), any electrical equipment required to work at 242v, will suffer a reduced working life by up to 46%.
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Savings & Benefits of Voltage Optimisation
To simplify the market for electrical equipment, the European Union has introduced the Low Voltage Directive (LVD) 2006/95/EC to regulate the operating voltage of electrical equipment to be supplied in Europe. Equipment that meets the standard bears the CE mark and is designed to operate within harmonised
voltage levels. In reality through, nothing has changed, voltage levels on average in the UK remain around 242v (419V) as the costs to reduce voltages at grid level are too inhibitive and unnecessary as we remain within the harmonised voltage limits.
CE mark compliance simply dictates that the device must operate safely between harmonised limits, it does not however state that it must operate efficiently or maintain its design lifespan.
It could be argued that Voltage Optimisation therefore exploits the CE Mark regulations as a lower voltage level is applied to the electrical device and closer to the nominal design voltage of 230V rather than at the UK average voltage of 242V.
Consideration should also be given towards accelerated deterioration of the electrical device at the higher voltage levels, voltage can be described as pressure, there is, therefore, an opportunity to regulate the pressure more towards mainland European levels to protect the device and maintain its designed life span while returning a level of energy saving.
Most electrical devices are now manufactured more for the wider European market rather than the unique challenges faced in the UK, a classic example is the operation of LED lighting, higher voltage levels increase the risk of premature failure of the driver circuits while at lower regulated levels, the pressure is reduced and the design lifespan achieved.
Where are the Savings Made?
The primary means of achieving savings on an electricity bill is by reducing the kWh usage of electrical devices, which can be accomplished by ensuring they operate at or near their fundamental design voltage.
Warranty & Guarantee
All our voltage equipment is supplied with a 15 year manufacturers equipment warranty that confirms (warrants) that the equipment supplied will continue to deliver the voltage reduction guaranteed and will operate efficiently for a minimum of 15 years from date of installation.
Our equipment is installed with an expected lifespan of 30 + years subject to a 5 year service plan. We guarantee that your Voltage Optimiser will continue to deliver the voltage reduction specified in our Energy Savings report.
After a full site power survey the finalised savings report will confirm the reduced voltage figure, your sites confirmed load profile together with the percentage of energy consumption that has been disregarded to allow for equipment that delivers little or no energy savings from voltage optimisation