Her Majesty’s Court Services - Isleworth, Wood Green and Woolwich

About Her Majesty’s Courts Service

Her Majesty’s Courts Service (HMCS) is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). Their remit is to deliver justice effectively and efficiently to the public. They are responsible for managing the magistrates’ courts, the Crown Court, county courts, the High Court and Court of Appeal in England and Wales.

How powerPerfector were able to help HMCS

Using the annual electricity consumption details for the three HMCS sites, 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 for one week, which recorded 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, the installation took place. The installation was completed on a weekend to minimise the disturbance to the building. Following the installation, analysis of the fiscal electricity consumption was completed, and found an average reduction in electricity consumption of 10.7% for the 3 courts, equating to annual carbon dioxide emissions savings of 152,934kg.

Getting the source right

powerPerfector is the world’s only Voltage Power Optimiser, giving energy, carbon and cost savings by efficiently optimising a site’s supply voltage. Optimising the voltage causes electrical equipment to run more efficiently and consume less energy. The declared electricity supply in the United Kingdom is now, as a result of European Harmonisation, 230V with a tolerance of +10% to -10%. This means that effective voltage can be anywhere between 207V and 253V depending on local conditions. Most electrical equipment manufactured for Europe and the UK is rated at 220V and operates more efficiently at this level. Forcing appliances to operate at a higher voltage in the UK (242V is the average supply level) leads to significantly higher energy consumption, increased heat losses and a reduced life span. As a result of equipment specification and the range of voltage supply, there is an opportunity to achieve cost savings by optimising voltage at source and at the same time improve the operation and lifespan of a site’s electrical infrastructure. It is estimated that 90% of sites in the UK are operating with excessive voltage and could therefore benefit from installing a powerPerfector.

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 as 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. The looming energy gap means that the risk of transients is increased – three of the HMCS buildings are now protected.