Saving energy is science, not magic!

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“Saving energy is a science, not magic”, according to Dr Alex Mardapittas, Managing Director of Energy Management Systems (EMS), during a recent presentation of the company’s activities to the Cyprus Hoteliers Association.
In his presentation, Dr Mardapittas explained the reasons why voltage reduction is necessary: “Electricity suppliers are required to provide an average voltage of 230V +10% or -6%, however, these companies increase voltage as much as possible so as to reduce thermal losses on their network. The suppliers thus benefit when supplying at high voltage as the transmission losses are less. This is because as electricity travels further away from the distribution areas, the voltage naturally drops and in order to ensure that the regulations are met, the power supplier will maintain grid voltage towards the top end of the limits. For example, in the UK although the statutory electricity supply voltage was reduced from 240 volts to 230V, an average voltage of 242V is still supplied which is approximately 12 volts or 5.2% higher than the nominal 230V.”
“The majority of electrical equipment is designed to run at 220V which is in place in Europe and to ensure that these are operating at their optimum performance they need to operate as close as possible to their design characteristics,” Mardapittas added.
The controlled reduction of voltage output by 5% consequently leads to energy saving (kWh) of at least 10%. In addition, higher voltage tends to increase the heat generation in motors, reducing their life, and generally reduces the life expectancy of electrical equipment, including light bulbs, he said.
During the presentation, Dr Mardapittas also introduced PowerStar, an efficient voltage optimisation system that accurately controls incoming voltage to maximise energy savings without affecting the performance of equipment. This system is now available in Cyprus through its manufacturer and guarantees savings of up to 25% of total electricity bills and reduces carbon footprints.