Voltage Optimiser

Descrabled

Just had a free EPC through Skipton B S. They recommend, amongst other items, the installation of an energy optimiser to reduce the voltage used in our home.

Does anyone have experience of such a system, particularly with solar panels and no battery?

They state the cost as being £816 with a saving of £110 per annum.

The voltage showing at the inverter today (no sun and not exporting) is 245V; perhaps 240V at the meter??

pete-20-11

I think the initials "B S" could mean something else in this instance.

Walk away! 

tim_p

Don’t waste your money, you won’t make any savings in a standard equipped household. Snake oil. 

Netexporter

About the only thing you might make a saving on is incandescent lighting. Nobody in their right mind uses that, these days.

Qyburn

Netexporter said:

About the only thing you might make a saving on is incandescent lighting. 

Even then that would be at the expense of dimmer and yellower light. Like a ship where they run the voltage lower so bulbs last longer.

ĹED lighting will just draw more current if you reduce the voltage.

Qyburn

This "Energy optimiser" sounds like pure snake oil. But just out of interest did they give a product name?  I'm struggling to think how something could reduce the voltage without quite a degree of waste, or messing up the waveform and power factor, or all three.

Descrabled

Our EPC is grade A anyway and our bulbs are LED.

Netexporter

Qyburn said:

Netexporter said:

About the only thing you might make a saving on is incandescent lighting. 

Even then that would be at the expense of dimmer and yellower light. Like a ship where they run the voltage lower so bulbs last longer.

ĹED lighting will just draw more current if you reduce the voltage.

As if tungsten lighting wasn't yellow enough already! I love the choice of colour temperature that LEDs offer.

I once did an experiment with a fridge. It would still run satisfactorily at 90 volts and the current didn't rise to compensate. However, I suspect my wattmeter may have been seeing apparent power, rather than actual.

bob2302

Netexporter said:

I once did an experiment with a fridge. It would still run satisfactorily at 90 volts and the current didn't rise to compensate. However, I suspect my wattmeter may have been seeing apparent power, rather than actual.

Any compensation would involve the thermostat spending a greater fraction of the time on.

Netexporter

I measured the watt-hours over prolonged periods at different voltages to compensate to operating time. It appeared to use less energy at lower voltages but I wasn't entirely convinced because of the actual/apparent power paradox.

Descrabled

Thanks to all who posted. I have decided not to consider further.