How is it possible to optimise voltage on a site-specific basis?
The statutory supply range for electricity in Australia is 216V to 253V (i.e. 230V -6% to +10%). Due to the fact that transmission losses occur through the electricity grid, the majority of premises receive voltage at the high end of this range. This is to ensure that the premises located at the extremities of the grid receive voltage above the minimum allowable level. However most electrical equipment used in Australia is designed to function optimally at 220-230V and will even operate effectively down to 200V. When motors and equipment operate at voltage levels higher than what they are designed for (i.e. greater than 220V) there is a degradation of the equipment and energy is lost through heat, vibration etc. (the iron losses are proportional to the square of the voltage increase). This over-voltage leads to significantly higher electricity consumption due to the energy that is wasted. From the extensive data logging that we have performed across Australia, we estimate that approxim
