Preview Your Potential Savings with the Powerstar Energy Savings Calculator
Monday, 7 November 2022
The current energy price crisis means that even if a site is able to generate its own electricity through distributed generation, it is vital that the energy available is used as intelligently and efficiently as possible. By improving a site’s energy efficiency, end users can further minimise their reliance on their grid connection and available on-site generation can make up a larger percentage of their overall consumption. When it comes to your grid supplied electricity, the cheapest and cleanest unit of energy is the one that you don’t use.
Voltage optimisation can be a powerful tool when it comes to improving a site’s energy efficiency. Most sites in the UK are supplied with an overvoltage, meaning that they are over-paying for their electricity with no benefit. In fact, overvoltage can increase wear and tear on equipment, increasing maintenance costs and the risk of disruption due to equipment failure.
While voltage optimisation can represent a cost-effective energy infrastructure investment compared to other technologies, it is still important to understand the potential return on any investment. Powerstar’s new Energy Savings Calculator can give you a clearer picture of the amount of money your organisation could save on your energy costs, as well as the amount of carbon emissions eliminated by reducing consumption. The calculator is available online and provides an immediate snapshot of potential savings and carbon reductions, requiring only a recent energy bill that gives an accurate figure for a site’s total grid consumption.
The amount that voltage optimisation can vary significantly from site to site, depending on the level of voltage supplied and the amount of fluctuation in voltage. An additional benefit is that by monitoring and conditioning incoming voltage, it can eliminate the minor spikes and sags in voltage that, while momentary, can cause sensitive electronics to trip and reset, requiring lengthy resets.
Voltage optimisation can be implemented as a standalone technology to protect equipment from voltage supply issues and reduce overall electricity consumption. For sites with existing high voltage infrastructure, it can also be integrated with a distribution transformer, or supplied as part of a new, energy efficiency amorphous core transformer.
By combining voltage optimisation technology with a battery energy storage system (BESS) that also provides UPS capability, sites can ensure they are protected from power disruption and enjoy a consistent, uninterrupted power supply. Unlike lead acid UPS, BESS also improves the performance of other distributed generation, such as on-site solar or wind, by storing excess electricity during periods of plentiful generation for use at other times. It can also make it easier for your on-site generation to engage with grid balancing services, supplying power to the grid or rapidly increasing site demand in response to shifting levels of supply and demand.
Find out how much your site could save with voltage optimisation using Powerstar’s Energy Saving Calculator here Powerstar’s Energy Saving Calculator
Powerstar are exhibiting at The Distributed Energy Show 2023 on stand 5014.