ASDA stores - Tipton and Wolverhampton

ASDA need little introduction

Owned by Wal-Mart, they have over 300 stores around the UK and have been awarded ‘UK’s Best Value Supermarket’ eleven years in a row.

The challenge, the solution and the savings
Here we present the results from two of our ASDA installations from 2009, as part of an ongoing rollout. Both ASDA sites had a range of loads, including refrigeration, ventilation and air conditioning, fluorescent and hi-bay lighting, and a variety of electrical cooking appliances.  Post-installation all electrical equipment has operated normally and there have been no reports of any problems. Over time, we expect to see equipment lifecycles noticeably extended. See figures 1 and 2 for a before and after comparison.

Topline results
With independent analysis of the results provided by Energy ICT, powerPerfector produced significant savings – above and beyond other energy saving initiatives already in place. ASDA have since confirmed that we will continue to be part of their retrofit energy plans going forward. The equipment on all these sites is now being driven more efficiently by powerPerfector's higher-quality power output, phase balancing is improved, harmonics have been reduced and voltage has been optimised.

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 .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
Transients – very brief spikes in voltage from the grid – of up to 25,000V 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 that store is no longer at risk from failures that could put them out of business for days.