ENERGY
A NEW ERA FOR ENERGY MANAGEMENT
C
laude Lyons has been quietly developing power quality and energy management technology for decades. But as the introductory phase of
the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme comes into force, the Hertfordshire-based manufacturer has found itself at the forefront of a green revolution. Founded in 1918, Claude Lyons cottoned on to an electricity quirk at an early stage: the national grid typically supplies electricity at more than 240 volts, but most electrical equipment is designed to accept a range of input voltages, with 240 being near the upper end of that range. For example, a 230-volt linear appliance operating at 240 volts will consume approximately 9% more energy than necessary. This meant that companies were wasting thousands of pounds each year simply by plugging electrical equipment into the mains. Claude Lyons developed and manufactured its PowerSave voltage optimisation technology to act as a middleman between the national grid and the equipment. The technology continuously adjusts the mains voltage so that the equipment doesn’t receive more power than necessary, delivering energy savings of up to 25% and providing facilities managers with a welcome reduction in electricity bills. “Where Claude Lyons was particularly ahead of the curve was in the ability to regulate as well as simply reduce the voltage,” explained Claude Lyons Technical Director Martin Ward, who has over 30 years of experience in the industry. “If the voltage is simply reduced
by, for example, a fixed percentage, there is a danger that equipment will stop functioning if there are power surges or dips. PowerSave monitors and adjusts the voltage on an ongoing basis, providing dynamic voltage optimisation.” Over time the company has steadily
expanded. In 1985 it acquired Transformer and Electrical Company, a designer and manufacturer of power transformers. It has tapped international markets, exporting equipment to America, continental Europe and Asia, and supplies top UK names including Hilton Hotels, Mitchells & Butlers and the Ministry of Defence.
RIDING THE GREEN WAVE
But a real driver of growth in the past few years has been rooted in an issue that would have been unforeseen 90 years ago – the environmental revolution. According to Jim McIlfatrick, Managing Director of Claude Lyons, eco- consciousness has transformed the company’s marketplace. Jim joined the company in 1992, bringing a background in electrical engineering but also as CEO of the former Ulverston District Co- operative Society, a retailer well known for its sustainability and fair trade credentials. “Traditionally, facilities managers saw energy management as a way of cutting costs – why pay for 25% more electricity than the site requires?” said McIlfatrick. “But as carbon footprint has taken centre stage, and major corporates have incorporated green business practices into their everyday operations, voltage optimisation has become a key weapon in the FM arsenal.” And Claude Lyons has been reaping
the benefits. Demand for its two PowerSave product families – the Energy Saving Transformer and the Energy Saving Regulator – has been increasing exponentially. “When companies assess carbon
footprint it’s more than just kilowatt hours of electricity or tonnes of landfill waste. The sustainability chain extends much further in that green-minded companies have to think about the credentials of their suppliers as well,” explained McIlfatrick. “Claude Lyons has benefited from this at a time when UK manufacturers generally are suffering. Because all of our
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operations – from our factory floor to our warehouse to our engineers – are based in the UK, transport-related emissions, our industrial equivalent of food miles, are very low.”
FACILITATING CARBON REDUCTION
The Carbon Reduction Commitment Scheme has further expanded these opportunities for Claude Lyons. The legislation, part of the UK government’s aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, will affect the approximately 5,000 large private and public sector organisations that annually consume more than 6,000 megawatt hours of half-hourly metered electricity.
With the introductory phase in effect, the government has created both a will and a way for organisations to adopt eco- friendly practices. The Carbon Trust, an independent non-profit organisation set up by the government to lead on low carbon technology, is offering interest-free loans of up to half a million pounds to small and medium-sized enterprises, and Salix Finance, the Trust’s public sector arm, is offering similar packages to the public sector to purchase energy saving equipment. Claude Lyons has seen a definite increase in enquiries with Carbon Trust and Salix funds available for the likes of its PowerSave equipment.
“Every kilowatt hour of electricity is equivalent to 0.43 kilograms of carbon dioxide,” said McIlfatrick. “Every fraction of a kilogram is going to be crucial for budgeting emissions and assessing the necessary level of carbon credits.” Electricity management is an easy first port of call for organisations because it is so easy to measure. “The PowerSave transformers and regulators can be supplied with various options, including the ability to track and log system operations remotely and even estimate energy savings,” Martin Ward added. “This is particularly useful for sites that have to report as part of a larger corporate emissions strategy – facilities managers for individual sites across the country have a quantifiable metric they can contribute towards assessing the company’s carbon credit requirements.”
www.powersavetechnology.co.uk
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