CO2 EMS & Powerstar –
The UK’s market leading solution EMSc UK Ltd, manufacturer of the market leading voltage optimisation solution Powerstar, is celebrating 10 years of continued business success having recently reported on another year of outstanding growth. The company, which manufactures all its products in the UK includes ASDA, Coop, Punch Taverns, London Stock Exchange, Metropolitan Police, Transport for London, Sheffield University, Bristol University and a large number of other Blue Chip clients, alongside government departments, Local Authorities and the NHS as its customers. EMS has come a long way since its early days when founder and designer of the company’s market leading product Powerstar, Dr. Alex Mardapittas, set up the company in his study at home. In the last 12 months the company has seen turnover increase by 50%, to £12.4m and has doubled its workforce to 70 people. To accommodate the growth the company has also moved into larger premises.
Internationally EMS is also expanding its presence with distribution agreements to supply Powerstar in Australia, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bahrain and Holland as well as the development of its own operation in Cyprus.
EMS has always been at the forefront of the latest energy saving technologies and is constantly looking to launch new products that will allow companies to reduce not only their electricity bills, but their carbon emissions as well. It is this vision which has allowed the company to grow at the rate it has.
There are two types of voltage optimisation system available on the market today: simple step-down transformers that drop the voltage only, and voltage optimisers that optimise the voltage as they reduce it. In doing so, true optimisers tackle poor power quality issues such as harmonics and transients, therefore allowing for greater efficiency and savings.
The Cumberland Hotel
Powerstar optimises the voltage as it is being reduced, as the system is installed in series with the mains electricity supply to give an optimum supply voltage for the site's equipment. It improves power quality by balancing phase voltages and filtering harmonics and transients from the electricity supply. As such it is the most efficient system available and can save up to 26.1% of electricity bill. Powerstar is a uniquely designed voltage optimisation system that also gives the end-user the ability to optimise their supply locally, correcting power quality problems from the grid, and is designed to do so very efficiently enabling total energy savings of up to 26.1%. Powerstar has extremely high efficiencies, up to 99.91% at maximum load. Each Powerstar system is custom wound to the exact requirements of each site and therefore offers unrivalled efficiency and savings. As a result of continual growth and success, Powerstar has become the energy management system of choice for blue chip companies, government departments, organisations with critical services and many other companies of all sizes that form its ever- expanding client base.
Powerstar applications Powerstar has been installed in buildings across the entire public sector, including at educational establishments. Two such establishments that are benefitting from the installation of the solutions are Sheffield Hallam University and Richmond Adult Community College (RACC).
Sheffield Hallam University has always striven to reduce its impact on the environment through a variety of projects, both in environmental as well as energy efficiency.
The University identified that the voltage into the student union building was particularly high and that the power quality delivered was poor. It was left to the EMS team to design a Powerstar system, which would not only reduce the energy consumption, but also the high levels of harmonics (electrical distortions) from the supply. Powerstar’s unique design provided both the energy savings as well as the reduction in harmonics, improving the power quality into the building.
“The Powerstar system has saved 16% of the total electricity consumption at the student union building and has reduced the failure of the lights by an amazing 75%. I have no hesitation in recommending Powerstar,” said Stephen Ward, senior electrical and mechanical engineer, Sheffield Hallam University.
Building & Facilities Management – September 2011
Thistle Hyde Park
RACC in London is a centre of learning that provides students with the opportunity to extend their existing skills. It actively promotes sustainability and eco- friendly practices and has already worked with the Carbon Trust to reduce its carbon footprint. As part of its green commitment the college recently up-dated its heating systems at one of its main sites and will achieve BREEAM excellent rating for one of its new build properties, which will incorporate recycling and sustainable energy strategies.
Against this backdrop the RACC called in EMS to ascertain whether the installation of Powerstar voltage optimisation systems could help save money on energy costs, whilst also making a further contribution to reducing its carbon footprint.
Following an initial on site survey EMS recommended that RACC install a Powerstar 210kVA unit at the two sites. Each Powerstar unit is built to meet the specific electrical loading characteristics of each establishment - as load levels can vary from 150kVA to 1000kVA. An important additional benefit of Powerstar is that it comes with an online monitoring and targeting tool which enables users to monitor the overall energy usage and take further steps to reduce consumption, which can be as basic as simply turning off unnecessary lighting.
“Our electricity usage has dropped on average by 16% since the installation of the voltage optimisation units. Overall we are very pleased with the service provided by EMS,” said Monika Quayle, corporate services administrator, Richmond Adult Community College
RACC and Sheffield Hallam University are not alone in discovering the benefits of Powerstar with a large number of units having been installed as far a field as Torquay to Perth.
For more information about Powerstar contact, Nick Lee at
nick.lee@ems-uk.org or 01709 836200
www.powerstar.co.uk
cover story 11
Cover Story
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32