The benefits of voltage optimisation are more accessible than ever thanks to flexible new leasing packages from voltage optimisation brand, Powerstar. Dr Alex Mardapittas, inventor of Powerstar, outlines what’s on offer.
Voltage optimisation is a powerful weapon in the war on energy costs and unnecessary carbon emissions. The well-established and highly effective technology delivers substantial savings on electricity bills by matching the voltage supplied to a site to the exact requirements of equipment and appliances. Optimising voltage delivery in this way reduces level of electricity consumption, which leads to cuts in carbon emissions and lower electricity costs.
Voltage optimisation also cleans the power supply and eliminates the potentially damaging peaks and troughs of incoming voltage caused by fluctuating demand from neighbouring sites or by renewable energy sources coming on and off grid.
Bespoke system
Powerstar systems are designed, developed and manufactured in the UK and they remain the only voltage optimisation systems in the world to have a patent on their design. An engineered solution, Powerstar solutions deliver typical electricity savings of 12%-15% with a payback period of only two to three years.
Powerstar technology has been installed in landmark buildings around the world including the Palace of Westminster in London, London City Hall and Australia’s Western Parliament. It has won praise from the NHS, ASDA, Transport for London and Whitbread, amongst others.
Guaranteed savings
Powerstar engineers will guarantee an agreed level of energy savings following an on-site survey, regardless of load type. Savings are achieved due to the negative power created as the system returns the excess voltage in terms of real negative power, which is then deducted from the grid input power. Excess voltage over and above the Powerstar set-point is returned to the grid, which flows towards the supply and is then subtracted from the incoming power. This results in 70-80% of the total savings, with the remaining 20-30% gained from the improvement in equipment efficiencies due to appliances being able to operate at their most effective
This was borne out by a full mathematical simulation modelling of the Powerstar system carried out at the University of Warwick. The concluding report, compiled by professor Jihong Wang, confirms that, “The overall power consumption is reduced because the negative power is induced as feedback power to the source. Virtually, this power can be considered as being generated from the load side.”
Powerstar remains one of the only voltage optimisation systems capable of making savings on LED lighting, as a tender recently awarded by Melbourne University proved. The solution was the only voltage optimisation system, of the many tested, that could verify savings on LEDs. The system has also demonstrated that significant savings – 6%-10% – can be achieved when modern variable speed drives (VSDs) are connected.
Capital investment-free
These many benefits are now more accessible than ever, thanks to an attractive range of flexible leasing packages available to public and private sector companies in the UK wanting to invest in Powerstar systems. Companies can install the technology without having to make up-front payments by using the savings, as they are made, towards monthly lease payments. Re-payments can also be set below the level of monthly savings to create a positive cash flow from the outset. What’s more – all re-payments are completely tax deductible.
Operating leases, available over a five-year fixed period, offer significantly lower monthly payments and no up-front costs. At the end of the term, there will be a 20% residual balance, at which point the customer can either, purchase the product at the residual value, re-finance the outstanding balance or return the unit. Operating leases are also ‘off-balance sheet’ and as such do not affect profit and loss figures.
Finance leases differ in that the term of the lease is flexible and at the end of the term the customer takes ownership of the unit. Like operating leases, payments are monthly and no up-front payment is required.
With both leasing options savings made can be put towards monthly payments in an on-going arrangement that offers financial peace of mind, ensures installations are cash positive from the outset and allows working capital to be used for core activities.
With financial obstacles no longer a barrier, more companies than ever will have access to the instant savings offered by voltage optimisation.
