ENERGY SAVER FOR LIGHTING 300 kva

ENERGY SAVER FOR LIGHTING 300 kva

Voltage Optimisation (or Voltage Power Optimisation) is the name given to an electrical energy saving technique, whereby a specialist optimisation device is installed in series with the mains electricity supply to site to give an optimum supply voltage for the site’s equipment, and improve power quality by balancing phase voltages, and filtering harmonics and transients from the supply. The type of device used determines whether the power supply is being ‘optimised’ or merely reduced (voltage reduction can be achieved using  automatic voltage controller) Voltage optimisation technology gives the end-user the ability to optimise their supply locally, correcting power quality problems from the grid, and is designed to do so very efficiently. In the UK and Europe, voltage optimisation units fitted have achieved average energy savings of around 13% over the last five years, making this one of the fastest-growing energy saving techniques on the market. Major businesses and Public Sector organisations have adopted Voltage Optimisation as a front-line energy saving measure.

Over voltage

Over voltage refers to voltage higher than the voltage at which equipment is designed to operate most effectively. It causes a reduction in equipment lifetime and increases in energy consumed with no improvement in performance. The 16th edition of the Electricians Guide BS7671 makes the following statements in relation to over voltage: “A 230V rated lamp used at 240 will achieve only 55% of its rated life” “A 230V linear appliance used on a 240V supply will take 4.3% more current and will consume almost 9% more energy.” Various technologies can be used to avoid over voltage, but it must be done so efficiently so that energy savings resulting from using the correct voltage are not offset by energy wasted in the device used to do so.

Effects on electrical loads

Lighting

Since lighting loads are in use for a high proportion of the time, energy savings on lighting equipment are extremely valuable. Incandescent lighting is particularly susceptible to wasting energy and decreased lifetimes at high voltages, as the previous extracts from the Electricians Guide illustrate. However, other types of lighting can also benefit from improved power quality, including systems with resistive or reactive ballasts. Fluorescent lighting is more efficient than incandescent lighting and there are also types of electronic voltage optimisation control systems for high-frequency lighting, which would not see an improvement in lifetime or energy consumption on the same level as incandescent lighting. However, lighting controllers and ballasts are responsible for generating high levels of harmonic distortion, which can be filtered with a voltage optimiser, in addition reducing the need for lighting controller. A common concern is that some lighting will fail to strike at lower voltages. However, this should not occur since the aim of voltage optimisation is not simply to reduce the voltage as far as possible, but to bring it to the voltage at which it was designed to operate most efficiently.

Energy and Emissions Savings

The energy savings achieved by voltage optimisation are an aggregation of the improved efficiency of all equipment across a site in response to the improvements in the power quality problems outlined above. It has been and continues to be a key technique for savings in energy consumption.