Experian - Lambert House

Experian: Riverleen, Embankment and Lambert House - powerPerfected

Experian is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients in more than 90 countries. At the heart of Experian lies a vast store of information, around which unique analytical skills and highly advanced software tools have been developed. Together these enable Experian to deliver extraordinary insight into everyday decision-making on behalf of organisations and consumers. Whilst the storage of the information which drives Experian can be energy intensive, Experian have made the commitment in their Environmental Policy to “minimise the environmental impacts of current activities, products and services”.

The Challenge, the solution and the savings

After receiving the annual electricity consumption details for the Riverleen, Embankment and Lambert House sites it was possible to give a provisional quote for the four powerPerfector units (Riverleen House has multiple electrical supplies) and to outline the potential for energy savings. A voltage logger was then sent for a little more than a week, which recorded the voltage level at the site by connecting it to a regular mains socket. After a survey of the sites by a powerPerfector Approved Contractor, the installations took place. 

Topline results

The analysis below details Lambert House, for further information on all three sites, please download the case study in its entirety here. Comparing the kWh consumption of the Lambert site, before and after installation of the powerPerfector, it is clear that energy consumption has actually increased. However, it is also clear that at the Lambert site, consumption is generally higher in summer months; hence this increase would have been expected between April and June. 

An established method of quantifying energy savings in the context of seasonal variations is known as a “degree days” analysis. Degree days are calculated from Met Office temperature data and give an indication of how hard heating or cooling equipment would be expected to work in order to compensate for changes in external temperature.

The energy consumption for the 2 months after the powerPerfector was installed (the green points) is clearly below what would have been expected in the same conditions without the powerPerfector (the expected values being shown by the regression line in the graph). On thise basis the energy consumption at the Lambert site has been 10.2% lower than the historical data suggests it would have been without the powerPerfector. This 10.2% reduction in the context of Lambert House equates to 67,800kg in reduced CO₂ emissions and £9,100 saved from their energy bill.

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.