Statistics:Posted by ClareRedfern — Thu Sep 29, 2011 9:11 pm
Does anyone have any evidence to dispute this? Are there any subtle technical considerations that result in an energy saving with fridges/freezers?However, there are criticisms of aspects of voltage optimisation, particularly its use in a home context. These centre around the issue that variation in voltage does not affect the cost of the power used in many contexts in the home. This is because consumers are charged through the power they use, rather than the voltage they use. For instance, for practical purposes, it costs the same to boil a kettle at 200v as at 240v, and uses same amount of power overall.[4]
In a similar way, devices fitted with a thermostat, such as a fridge, use very similar amounts of power at different voltages.[4] The "electrical" work needed to keep the fridge at a certain temperature is the same - (but it can be delivered more quickly at a higher voltage - the thermostat acts to keep the temperature and hence the power used the same over time however). Modern electronic devices such as PCs also have similar power management.
Therefore the main way that voltage optimisers are able to reduce power consumption and costs in the home seems to be to make lights become dimmer, the electric shower may become slightly less hot at a given setting etc. They may also save money by regulating spikes in the electricity supply that may reduce the life of electrical equipment.
There is suspicion amongst some members of electicians forums in the UK that the problem of "overvoltage" and "voltage optimisation" may be a marketing device in order to sell voltage transformers. See http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/forum/vie ... sc&start=0 and http://www.electriciansforums.co.uk/ele ... isers.html
Statistics:Posted by James — Tue Aug 09, 2011 2:12 pm
Statistics:Posted by Matt Lucas — Sat Aug 06, 2011 7:05 pm
Statistics:Posted by Guest — Wed Jul 20, 2011 9:57 am
Statistics:Posted by Matt Lucas — Fri Jun 17, 2011 9:24 am
Statistics:Posted by David — Tue May 17, 2011 1:14 pm