Hundreds of large scale projects will be axed. ‘Making do’ will, once more, be the order of the day, increasing the cost of running repairs – in many cases the equivalent of putting a sticky plaster on a haemorrhage.
And, whilst windows remain draughty and aging roofs continue to leak, there will be a knock-on effect as schools struggle to meet their Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC). At £12 a tonne, carbon is a valuable commodity and without significant carbon cuts, schools, colleges and universities face sizeable fines.
Against that backdrop, technologies that can make savings to your carbon footprint as well as your energy bills become very valuable indeed.
One company is helping lead the way to a greener UK economy.
Hundreds of public sector organisations have adopted powerPerfector’s unique Voltage Power Optimisation (VPO)® technology.
Typically, due to the design of the distribution network, buildings are supplied with higher voltage than is actually needed. powerPerfector’s green technology, developed in Japan, works by optimising electrical power quality and by supplying voltage at a more efficient level.
powerPerfector is connected to the total electrical load, at its source in the facility’s electrical intake room, in series between the main switch and the distribution.
Thousands of sites in the UK have installed VPO and, when fitted in a typical commercial building, it cuts an average 13% off the electricity bill instantly.
But aside from reducing voltage there are some less obvious benefits too. The unit protects electrical and electronic equipment from transients up to 25,000V, it also lowers maintenance costs on motors, lighting and other electrical equipment.
It Improves power quality and substantially improves power factor, as well as, reducing phase voltage imbalance, improving the efficiency of AC motors. It also suppresses harmonics that can damage sensitive electronic equipment, improving HV to LV transformer efficiency.
powerPerfector’s performance and reliability are unmatched by any technology available in the UK today. No unit has ever been known to fail and the technology comes with guarantees, ensuring that you won’t be out of pocket if the unit doesn’t achieve the return on investment promised.
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council is already reaping the rewards having installed powerPerfector at the biggest secondary school in the borough.
Within 12 months, Treorchy Comprehensive School had reduced electricity consumption by an impressive 16 per cent and saved £12,137 a year on its electricity bill, or half the salary of an NQT.
Gerald Israel, Energy Manager at Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council said: “Treorchy was our first powerPerfector installation. If this is the saving we can expect from the units, it can only be to our benefit for carbon saving within the Carbon Reduction Commitment.”
The potential savings are huge. Introduce powerPerfector in every school in Rhondda Cynon Taf and the savings are in the hundreds of thousands, introduce it in every school in Wales and it’s in the tens of millions, introduce it in every school in the UK and we’re talking hundreds of millions.
Now add hospitals, prisons, colleges, council offices and swimming pools and the potential savings really start to stack up.
The private sector has already started to recognise the benefits with customers including supermarkets, manufacturers, hotels and offices. Now we’re talking billions.
Angus Robertson, CEO of powerPerfector, said: "We reached a milestone recently by saving our clients a total of £50 million on their energy bills.
“It is not just a proud achievement for powerPerfector but also conclusive proof for schools and business leaders in the private and public sector that there are some easy-wins on the tough road to cost saving and carbon reduction.
“The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) says that powerPerfector is a ‘critical part of our energy reduction strategy’, our aim is to be a critical part of the UK’s overall carbon reduction strategy.”
