Honeywell Building Solutions' voltage optimisation system shrinks John Leggott College's energy bills

(15/04/2010)

John Leggott College, a Sixth Form College in Scunthorpe, was experiencing premature failures on many electrical devices and IT equipment in particular. A site report revealed that high voltage supply and harmonics were contributing to these power failures.

Honeywell Building Solutions (HBS) has installed and commissioned a voltage reduction unit that is saving John Leggott College over £2,500 in electricity costs every month. Energy specialists from HBS and voltage optimisation partners EMS found that because the College is located near to its electricity supplier’s distribution site, the voltage entering the site averaged at 248V when only 220V was needed.

This oversupply was unnecessary and increasing the College’s power bills, over time it would also reduce the lifespan of its electrical equipment. To overcome the geographical challenges, Honeywell identified the need for the installation of an Powerstar voltage optimisation system, which would make small reductions in voltage that are matched to the specific needs of the site.

Since its installation, there has been a reduction in voltage level to the site, from an average of 248V down to 225V. In terms of energy consumption, this equates to an average saving of 30,000Kwh electricity per month. Based on like-for-like usage, results show that this means monetary savings for the College in the region of £23,000 to £30,000 per annum and a reduction of carbon emissions between 107 and 133 tonnes. Now that the voltage level has been specifically adapted to accommodate the exact needs of the College, the potential for the electrical equipment to fail has also been drastically reduced.

“Since the installation of the voltage reduction unit, we have been delighted with the savings that we have recorded on site,” says Barrie Kirk, Facilities Manager at John Leggott College. “By quickly identifying and correcting the excessive voltage problem, Honeywell and EMS have helped us to reduce the College’s impact on the environment and substantially lowered our electricity bills.”

Related categories:  Electrical installation   Energy efficiency   Office and commercial   Surge and lightning protection