Gulf Importers

Powerstar grows four-fold in Gulf

North with Powerstar MAX

Voltage optimisation (VO) systems by Powerstar, a registered trademark of EMSC (UK) Ltd, has witnessed phenomenal growth in the GCC region and is set to continue to perform strongly, the company says.

Currently present in the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia with a focus on the UAE, growth has been four-fold in the last financial year and very significant advances are envisaged again in all sectors of the Gulf, particularly in Dubai, along with an expansion of partner networks across the region, said Paul North, Powerstar’s international business development manager.

“We are present in one of the most prestigious hotels, an indoor ski facility, shopping malls, retail outlets and several other hotel projects,” he said.

Powerstar voltage optimisation systems are fully designed and manufactured in the UK and available in fixed, electronic-dynamic and HV variations. Powerstar optimises onsite voltage and cleans the power supply to reduce electricity consumption, lower carbon emissions and save on electricity costs.

VO systematically optimises and cleans the incoming power supply to bring the voltage supplied into a building in line with the voltage actually required.

The mains electricity supply in the Middle East is significantly higher than what most modern electrical equipment is designed to operate on. For example, the voltage supplied from the National Grid is 232 V in Dubai and 240 V in Abu Dhabi, although it can be as high as 253 V, yet the electrical equipment is designed to operate at its best on a voltage of around 220 V.

Generally, voltage optimisers will deliver between 12 per cent and 15 per cent savings. However, the most efficient solutions can save up to 26 per cent of total electricity consumption and related CO2 emissions without compromising the supply to electrical equipment.

 

A TAILORED SOLUTION

North highlighted the importance of implementing a tailored engineered solution in new and old commercial buildings such as factories, storage facilities, warehousing, call centres and IT server facilities.

Powerstar HV MAX: savings boost

Powerstar HV MAX: savings boost

As each building is different, with its own unique infrastructure and specific load requirements, a voltage optimisation strategy should be customised to ensure that savings are maximised, he said. Ideally the technology should be an integral part of any design and build process. However, whether commercial buildings are a couple of years old or 100 years old, a VO system can be installed to ensure energy savings are achieved. A VO system should not be viewed as an off the shelf solution. A site-specific survey should be undertaken to ensure that the unit to be installed suits the requirements of the location and business in order to maximise any benefits and savings

North touched on the benefits of installing a Powerstar system in terms of savings in electricity consumption and reduction in carbon emissions. “If an organisation does not currently have a VO product installed, it is highly likely that it is suffering from inflated electricity costs and higher than expected equipment failures and maintenance costs,” he observed. The official pointed out that the organisation’s impact on the environment is also greater than it needs to be.

“Businesses all over the world continue to be affected by rising energy prices and climate change legislation, which is becoming more stringent. However, by implementing an effective energy saving solution like Powerstar and taking the right approach to energy management, organisations can address these issues simultaneously, as well as ensure a profitable future.”

 

BENEFITS TO SITES

North discussed how stabilised voltage output offered by the Powerstar technologies could benefit sites with critical loads, secure data and operations requiring high levels of reliability and security. Pointing out that there are two main types of Low Voltage (LV) VO systems on the market: fixed and electronic-dynamic – also referred to as variable, a building that has a stable incoming voltage supply, which is still over and above the optimum rating for electrical devices, requires a fixed voltage optimisation system.

However, sites with critical equipment, high night loads and greater security requirements such as hospitals, data centres, hotels, education facilities and retails outlets will benefit from an electronic-dynamic system such as Powerstar MAX. The solution is designed to automatically ensure that voltage is supplied at a constant level, regardless of how unstable the incoming voltage, through intelligent electronic controls. 

Sites with their own transformers can take VO one step further by optimising a building’s voltage supply before it is distributed, following the development of Powerstar High Voltage (HV) MAX, the world’s first high voltage electronic variable solution. A super low loss transformer, the solution combines with Powerstar MAX to give increased average combined savings of 17 per cent.

A market leader in voltage optimisation, EMSC has been at the forefront of technological advances in energy management. It exports Powerstar overseas to 14 countries and is supported by its offices in the UK, Cyprus and Australia. Powerstar systems are designed, engineered and built in the UK under BS171 and IEC 60076 and manufactured in line with ISO 9001 which means all components are traceable. Powerstar sizes range from 50 kVA to 3,000 kVA

EMSC was the winner of the Yorkshire Post Innovation Award 2011, for the development of the Powerstar MAX system.