INDUSTRY FOCUS Energy & renewables WHY ENERGY IS WHY ENERGY IS


Stuart Little, Business Development Manager at Powerstar


FRONT AND CENTRE


With ongoing geopolitical volatility, energy security and cost is high on everyone’s agenda again. Stuart Little, Business Development Manager at Powerstar, looks at this issue for UK businesses, highlighting two energy management technologies that can provide the necessary returns


M


ake UK’s Executive Survey 2026 (in association with PwC)  


      


           


                 


34 April 2026 | Automation


   


                      


Voltage Optimisation (VO) optimises incoming voltage from the Grid to match on-site requirements, reducing energy usage and emissions where overvoltage exists. UK nominal voltage is 230V but supply can legally reach 253V. Where most UK equipment is  mismatch leads to wasted energy, unnecessary emissions, and strain on equipment - increasing maintenance and replacement costs. Stabilising voltage to the correct levels – and


increased automation only makes this more  energy spend. Where businesses already incorporate VO into their energy management,  provide better-conditioned power. As with  real-time voltage management – with site consumption automatically logged, providing real-time performance data to help energy managers make more informed decisions. Where it’s appropriate for a site, businesses generally see their ROI on VO within 12 to 30 months. For one Powerstar client, working in an energy-intensive sector, VO is reducing energy consumption by over 8,000kWh, saving 13% per tonne of product. For Wienerberger - the world’s largest brick manufacturer – Powerstar replaced their old transformer with a modern, low-loss alternative incorporating  of operations indicated annual energy consumption reduction of nearly 340,000kWh, equating to savings of around 8%. And, for Quorn Foods, replacing existing transformers with two HV MAX systems with integrated VO has reduced energy consumption by approximately 10.2%, lowering emissions by 365 tonnes, and saving more than £70,000 in annual energy spend.


For businesses looking to grow, there’s a compelling case for dynamic VO and low-loss transformers. Where digitisation and increased automation are seen by UK companies as  energy management – utilising proven technologies – can be an important key to help unlock innovation for growth.


Powerstar www.powerstar.com


automationmagazine.co.uk


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