Why voltage optimisation is so relevant in a time of recession

30th January 2012

Both recession and deindustrialisation lead to a rise in grid voltage, making voltage optimisation services more compelling than ever.

You might have heard of the term ‘voltage optimisation’ on websites such as our own here at Ecoadapt (www.ecoadapt.co.uk), and wondered what use voltage reduction could be to your business or organisation. Well, whether you are in charge of a factory or retail store, a supermarket or government building, if there’s one priority that has certainly loomed large in recent years, it is reducing energy costs.

This is the case not simply because of the positive effects of achieving such savings on your company’s profit margins, but also because of the wider ‘green agenda’ and greater emphasis on corporate social responsibility. And if you are eager to achieve both these benefits, then it makes sense to invest in voltage optimisation, which is a technique of saving energy that involves the reduction of the electricity voltage that is supplied to a site. The reality is that there is a very significant discrepancy between the voltage that is required to run electrical equipment at maximum efficiency, and the actual voltage that ends up arriving on site.

However, there is another reason why voltage optimisation becomes a particularly sound investment during times of recession, as well as de-industrialisation, with the UK known to have become more of a service sector-based economy in recent years with the shift in employment from the manufacturing sector. Although both the recession and deindustrialisation – both associated with reduced economic activity – naturally causes load to be shed from the grid.

Indeed, although most electrical equipment that is found throughout Europe is designed and manufactured to run at 220 volts, a rise in voltage power all too frequently sends the real figure above this threshold – the actual average recording is 242V. Not only is this over voltage a waste of energy, but it also leaves your electrical infrastructure unprotected from a range of hazards. These can include a slow, gradual deterioration of your computer equipment, but can also include the catastrophic loss of expensive machinery or data in the event of a particularly great hike in power.

So, by investing in voltage optimisation, you can save as much as 20%, both in money and in CO2, with no loss of actual usable voltage power. Indeed, the Carbon Trust has stated that voltage optimisation is equivalent to a 5% rise in sales for your business. It brings your firm in line with the recently introduced Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC), which aims to move the UK towards a low carbon economy, and ensures greater productivity, less maintenance and longer life for your electrical equipment.

For more information about voltage reduction from Ecoadapt, visit http://www.ecoadapt.co.uk.