The product
Voltage optimisation, built for UK commercial supply.
A Volta VO unit installs in series with your incoming electricity supply and brings it down to the optimal operating range for your equipment. No controls to learn. No software to run. Measured savings, verified post-install.
What it is
A passive device that trims your incoming voltage.
The average UK grid supply is 242 V, roughly 10% higher than needed. All CE marked commercial equipment operates best at 220-230 V. The gap between what the grid delivers and what your equipment needs becomes heat, stress, and consumption.
A Volta unit is a passive, always-on device installed in series with your incoming supply. It brings the delivered voltage down to the optimal operating range (around 220 V) and holds it there. Nothing on your side of the meter changes.
Because it's passive, there's no control loop to fail, no software to patch, no BMS integration required. It sits, and it works.
How it installs
In series, upstream of your distribution board.
The unit is installed downstream of your incoming meter and upstream of your main distribution board. Installation is carried out by our engineers (or your own, to our specification) during a pre-agreed window. Most sites are done in a single visit with a short planned outage.
We'll size the unit to your load and supply configuration after the survey. Capacities range from sub-100 kVA up to 3 MVA+ multi-transformer installs.
Compatibility
What it affects, and what it doesn't.
| System | Effect of VO |
|---|---|
| VSDs, soft starters, inverters | Operate as designed. VO sits upstream; downstream drive control is unchanged. |
| BMS / controls | No integration required. VO is passive and unmonitored by the BMS unless you choose to add metering. |
| On-site generation / solar PV | Compatible. Configuration depends on where generation ties in. Confirmed during survey. |
| UPS and back-up generators | Unchanged. Emergency supplies bypass the VO unit and deliver their own voltage. |
| Harmonic distortion (THD) | No measurable increase. Tested to EN 61000-3 standards. |
| Power factor | Unchanged. VO adjusts voltage, not phase. |
| Equipment warranties | Preserved. Running equipment at its rated voltage extends life and is within manufacturer spec. |
Specification summary
The engineering envelope.
| Configuration | Series or transformer-based, sized on survey | |
| Supply type | Single-phase or three-phase, 400 V nominal | |
| Capacity range | sub-100 kVA → 3 MVA+ | |
| Voltage reduction | 4–14 % | tuned to measured incoming voltage |
| Efficiency | >99 % | |
| Enclosure | IP-rated steel, floor-standing or wall-mount per site | |
| Warranty | Standard cover several years; extended available. Exact terms in proposal | |
| Standards | EN 61000-3 · BS 7671 · CE |
Full datasheets are issued with the proposal. Ask us if you need the datasheet before first contact. We can share under NDA if required.
Payback
What the numbers typically look like.
Payback windows on suitable sites are usually measured in months, not years. The drivers are your annual electricity spend, your incoming voltage, and your load profile. A site with a high annual spend and high incoming voltage pays back faster than a site with a low annual spend and low voltage.
The survey output is a proposal with a specific payback window for your site, with the assumptions listed. Finance directors have a defensible document; estates managers have a defensible spec.
7-12 %
Typical annual electricity saving on suitable UK sites.
Site-specific range confirmed at survey.
up to 46 %
Longer equipment life. Running at 240 V+ can decrease lifespan by up to 46% (BS7671).
Per BS7671 UK Wiring Regulations.
Ready to see the numbers for your site?
A site survey gives you a defensible saving range and a costed proposal. No obligation.
Or try the savings calculator first.