How does a voltage optimiser work?

Last updated on June 7th, 2024 at 03:09 pm

A voltage optimiser is a great way to make your home a little greener. It has a range of benefits, and you’ll probably see the term crop up a lot alongside solar panel systems or solar batteries. If you’re looking into voltage optimisation, you might be wondering exactly how it all works and whether it’s worth it.

Let’s take a look…

What is voltage optimisation?

Voltage optimisation is an energy consumption hack that allows us to regulate the power supply voltage we receive from the National Grid. Voltage optimisation technology is able to reduce the voltage to the optimum level for our homes, which has a huge range of benefits for both us and the planet.

How does a voltage optimiser work?

What it does:

The supply voltage from the National Grid is around 242V. Most electrical equipment in our homes only requires 220V. Voltage optimisation technology drops the supply voltage to 220V to make it more suitable for our products and home.

How it does it:

The voltage optimiser takes in the electricity supply and lowers the voltage, feeding out a lower voltage to your electrical equipment.

What is the point of voltage optimisation?

Why does a reduced voltage matter? Are there benefits?

In short, yes. There are plenty of benefits of voltage optimisation services, such as:

Reduced energy consumption

In the current climate, reducing how much energy you use is a huge deal. It will help with energy savings, which can be a huge help in times of financial hardship. You’d be surprised how easily you can save energy and reduce your energy bills by just reducing the voltage in your home.

Electrical equipment lasts longer

Most electrical equipment and products only need 220V. By continuously subjecting them to excess voltage, you are likely to find that they need replacing more often. Electrical equipment is not designed to be subjected to higher voltage consistently. By being kinder to your electrical equipment, you’ll be able to save money on maintenance costs or replacement charges.

Reduced carbon emissions

Along the same vein, since your electricity consumption will decrease, too. Since you aren’t using the excess voltage, you’ll find that your carbon emissions drop dramatically. This is great for businesses or anyone looking to take the plunge toward being more green and eco-friendly.

More stable electricity supply

One of the benefits of voltage optimisation solutions is that you tend to suffer much less from the usual energy problems. Things like power outages and power dips are a thing of the past.

How expensive are voltage optimisers?

The exact cost of your voltage optimisation will depend on a number of things. The lower price range for voltage optimisation technology is around £350. The upper limit can be as high as £1,500.

The differences in cost when it comes to voltage optimisation are down to differences in brand of voltage optimiser and the specifications of the model. For larger properties or businesses, installation of a voltage optimiser will cost more simply due to the size and electricity consumption.

Can you install voltage optimisation technology yourself?

Unless you are a qualified electrician, it is not advised to try and install your voltage optimisation without guidance. Since it is smart advice involved in energy supply and electrical equipment, it is better to be safe than sorry.

How much money can you save with voltage optimisation?

Voltage optimisation work can bring energy savings of up to 15% on general household items. For specific items, it’s slightly different. Homes with chillers will see average energy savings of 14%, anyone with motors can save 4% and those with fluorescent lighting may see energy costs reduced to 15%.

How to decide whether you should get voltage optimisation technology installed

With plenty of benefits and very few cons, there aren’t a lot of reasons not to get into voltage optimisation. The only downsides as such are the price of the voltage optimisers, and the additional cost of installation. The installation may also be slightly disruptive, and so while it is quite quick, this may put people off. The only other downside is that you’re not guaranteed to make a specific amount of energy savings.

What to look for in voltage optimisation solutions

When you decide to buy a voltage optimiser, there are a few things to keep your eye out for.

For example:

• make sure your optimiser has a high efficiency, even at a lower voltage

• make sure your optimiser can work quickly in order to manage better energy savings

• see if you can find an optimiser with a guarantee to protect your investment

That being said, voltage optimisation is a really great way to cut down carbon emissions and power consumption, and for homes or businesses with solar panel systems (especially those with a solar battery) it is even better for energy saving. If you’re big into renewable energy, or your property already has solar panels, you’re even more likely to save money and energy by installing voltage optimisation.