Voltage optimisation is a term used to describe the process of reducing energy consumption in voltage-dependent loads by controlling the voltage levels. It is very popular in sustainability circles, with those who have solar panel systems installed, and with businesses committed to net-zero targets.
To know whether voltage optimisation is something that might benefit you at home or at work, it’s important to know what it is, how it works, and what the benefits are. Let’s take a look at these tips from the Powervolt Team.
What is voltage optimisation?
Voltage optimisation works like a kind of valve. It uses a voltage optimiser to control and limit the supply voltage in a property supplied by the national grid. It aims to provide an optimised voltage level that is more suitable to your electrical equipment for a range of reasons, and can work incredibly well alongside solar panel systems.
How does voltage optimisation technology work?
Voltage optimisation is a transformer based technology that aims to reduce electricity consumption by adjusting and controlling voltage levels. It comes in many forms, from fixed ratio, multi tap, stabilising and regulating. The systems are installed wherever the electricity supply enters the building and are installed in series.
What are the benefits of voltage optimisation?
There are a number of benefits to voltage optimisation, for both individuals and businesses. For example:
Less wasting energy
The national grid puts out an average of 242V, but a lot of electrical equipment does not actually need such high voltage. In fact, most electrical equipment works just fine with 220V, which means the additional voltage is just a waste. Through voltage optimisation, we can reduce the electricity consumption and dramatically reduce wasted energy.
So is voltage optimisation worth it? Yes a result of this, for both homes and businesses, is incredible energy savings. In the economic climate we currently live in, the importance of this can’t be understated.
Fewer carbon emissions
Since properties with controlled supply voltage are using less energy, not only are their average energy savings up, but their carbon emissions are down. A consequence of using less energy is a smaller carbon footprint.
This is a great addition to an eco-friendly pledge or ledger for businesses, and it’s a good way to make your home more sustainable and eco-friendly, too.
Improved power quality
Different items of electrical equipment work at different levels of energy consumption, and that’s where voltage optimisation comes in. By monitoring the supply voltage to your electrical equipment you can extend the life of the products, as they’re not designed to have higher voltage input.
This not only keeps you safe by preventing products from overheating, but it also provides reduced maintenance costs for large electrical equipment that would otherwise be a hefty regular cost.
How long does the installation of voltage optimisation technology take?
For businesses, the estimation is that the installation of voltage optimisation technology to help with energy consumption would take approximately one day. For a larger consumer unit, of course, this may be longer.
For individuals, the installation of voltage optimisation technology should only take approximately half a day.
Is voltage optimisation worth it?
In order to really know whether voltage optimisation is worth it, you need to know how much of the electrical equipment in your property is “voltage dependent”. That means how much of your electrical appliances rely on receiving a set amount of voltage. You then need to figure out how much of your overall energy consumption this comes to. If you only have a voltage dependent chiller and actually it’s only costing you a small amount to run, it may not be worth having to fork out the initial cost. However, anything that appears to be costly to run may make the installation of voltage optimisation worth it.
Can you measure the results of voltage optimisation?
Once you’ve had voltage optimisation installed, is there a way to see how well the energy savings are going? Can you track your energy efficiency and power consumption to monitor your yield average energy savings?
The answer is yes.
All you need to do is assess a bill from before you had the voltage optimisation solutions installed afterward. If you can see an energy saving, then it suggests that the voltage optimiser is doing well to help reduce your incoming voltage in order to keep it more in line with your power demand.
How much does voltage optimisation cost?
How much getting voltage optimisation solutions installed in your home will cost will largely depend on which voltage optimiser you opt for. Different sizes, specs and brands will all cost different amounts. For a smaller, more household voltage optimiser, you can expect to pay less than for a large business optimiser, but the prices may run anywhere between £350 and £1,500.
On top of that cost, you may also have to pay extra for installation of the voltage optimiser. It is not advised for you to try to install the optimiser yourself due to the nature of the product and the danger of working with electrics uneducated.