Sovereign Shopping Centre

Soveregin Shopping Centre – powerPerfected

Located in the centre of Weston, Sovereign Shopping Centre is made up of over thirty five High Street shops and restaurants, with parking available for over eight hundred and seventy cars all located under one roof. The Centre has received a number of awards in recognition of its commitment to providing an environmentally friendly shopping centre.

The challenge, the solution and the savings

Considering the impact their operations may have on the wider environment, good environmental practices are promoted through its Environmental Committee, having already introduced a number of environmental intiatives which include; low energy light fittings, timers and photocells, as well as Voltage Power Optimisation. Using the energy consumption for the site, it was possible to give a provisional quote for a powerPerfector unit and the energy savings that would be expected. A voltage logger was then sent to record the voltage level in the building by connecting to it in to a regular mains socket. After a survey of the site by a powerPerfector  approved contractor, a 350kV powerPerfector  unit with an 11% optimisation setting was installed at Sovereign Shopping Centre on 21 January 2009.

Topline results

By looking at four years' data, our analysis team determined that energy consumption was predominantly determined by season variations in temperature and that there had been a sustained reduction in energy consumption throughout this period. In order to only show savings attributable to Voltage Power Optimisation the level of consumption for the whole period following installation was compared to the same period the year earlier. This analysis showed maximum kWh savings of 16.4%, equating to 33,015kg of mitigated CO₂ emissions or £6,052 every year.

Voltage Power Optimisation. The less obvious benefits

Reduced maintenance, longer life
All electrical equipment has an optimum voltage at which it works best. A powerPerfected supply delivers that optimum and reduces the strain on your electrical equipment, leaving it to work more reliably and for longer.

Better quality power supply
Some things you may have accepted for years, but product faults can turn out to be caused by a poor quality power supply. For instance, the life of incandescent light bulbs is almost doubled when the supply voltage is optimised. Now imagine that in relation to an IT network or an expensive piece of manufacturing equipment.

Missing the penalty kick
Power factor penalty charges – which are now uncapped in the UK – can be avoided if your power factor is above 0.95. If your power factor is at around 0.9 at the moment,powerPerfector could remove your exposure to these charges by improving the electrical efficiency of your site.

Lower harmonic distortion and reduced neutral currents
powerPerfectors are able to filter harmonics on the mains incomer. Harmonic distortion is on the increase and can lead to random failures of electronic equipment – particularly computers.

Protection
Common transients – very brief spikes in voltage from the grid – are eliminated by powerPerfector. Transients at this level can cause catastrophic damage to equipment, but smaller, more common transient events will also shorten the life expectancy of electrical equipment over time. Each installation ensures that the centre is no longer at risk from failures that could put them out of business for days.