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MARSHALL-TUFFLEX - Voltis Home: The Smart Choice For Domestic VO

Smart meters, smart homes – and now smart thinking that can slice up to 18% off domestic energy bills, all thanks to an intelligent unit that manages the power supply into properties. The technology is voltage optimisation and the system Voltis Home, developed by Marshall-Tufflex at its R&D base in Sussex.

Voltis Home, recently launched at Nemex, is not the first domestic voltage optimisation system but it is the smartest, allowing it to offer really meaningful energy savings whilst also helping prolong the life of electrical appliances and lower carbon emissions.

For most householders voltage optimisation is a term that means little and a concept that can be difficult to grasp. However the thinking behind it is quite simple – voltage optimisers reduce the amount of electricity fed to appliances in a safe and controlled manner. The technology has been around for many years, cutting its teeth in the commercial/industrial sector to become a proven and established method of reducing power bills and carbon emissions plus refining the quality of power and evening out supply peaks and troughs. It was only a matter of time before scientific advancements paved the way for the miniaturisation of VO for domestic use at a cost-effective price point.

Why VO works is a simple case of supply and demand. The level of power supplied by the National Grid to domestic properties fluctuates constantly, from anywhere between 207V to as high as 253V. Normally households are supplied at around 240V. Domestic electrical equipment is designed to work most efficiently at around 220V. The extra power that is not needed (‘over voltage’) dissipates as heat and vibration within appliances, which can reduce their life by as much as 90%. Voltage optimisers act as a ‘buffer’ between the National Grid mains feed and the domestic supply circuit, reducing the voltage, for example from 240V to 220V. This reduces electricity bills by up to 18%, cuts carbon emissions, offers protection from power surges and helps prolong the life of appliances.

Voltis Home is the first ‘intelligent’ system developed for the domestic market. It uses a transfomer to reduce the voltage to a lower level and control parameters programmed into the unit enable it to self-manage – it monitors mains supply and domestic electricity demand. As appliances are switched on and off Voltis Home reacts accordingly to save electricity. If the unit detects a problem with mains supply, for example it has dipped too low for VO to safely reduce it further, it will switch into bypass mode and continue monitoring mains until it returns to normal, at which point it returns to power saving mode. Voltis Home’s intelligent operation also means it goes into standby if no appliances are being used, for example when house occupants are on holiday. This ensures it is not running when it does not need to, delivering a further power saving. There is no need to maintain Voltis Home once installed – simply check its display to see what savings are being achieved.

Voltis Home represents a major step forward in domestic voltage optimisation (VO), delivering all the benefits of Marshall-Tufflex Energy Management’s established Voltis commercial system but in a ‘mini’ version suitable for the home or buildings with electrical supplies of up to 100Amps. For domestic users this means electricity savings of up to 18%* are realistic and possible. This equates to as much as £150 per year for the average three-bed semi occupied by a family of four people, based on today’s average electricity prices. Installation is straight forward and can be completed in less time than most washing machine cycles. A qualified electrician will install Voltis Home in about one hour, between the electricity meter and the main consumer unit. It reduces electricity consumption in the whole property, including cooker and power shower circuits. Power bills are reduced as soon as Voltis Home is switched on. Indeed, the unit includes a display showing ‘voltage in’ and ‘voltage out’, and amps being consumed, allowing users to quickly and easily see how much the voltage is being reduced by and what they are saving at that moment.

*Based on tests completed on a range of domestic appliances