Voltis ECO cuts power bills at stately home

Sir Nicholas Bacon OBE, 14th Baronet Redgrave and 15th Baronet Mildenhall, and the Premier Baronet of England, was concerned about the high voltage supply to his 18th century home Raveningham Hall in South Norfolk, which was proving costly in energy bills and continually fusing lights – until Marshall-Tufflex’s Voltis ECO provided the solution.

Sir Nicholas, who is President of the Royal Horticultural Society and a Deputy Lieutenant of Norfolk, had already upgraded the Hall’s wiring and heating system and replaced the site’s sub-transformer.

The next objective was to reduce the incoming Mains voltage, which was running at around 250Volts, far higher than the 220V-240V that manufacturers of electrical equipment recommend.

Estate electrical contractor, Gentry Services of Beccles, Suffolk, had been looking for a suitable optimisation system to lower the incoming Mains voltage: “We had wanted voltage optimisation at Raveningham Hall for sometime but had not found a suitable product to reduce the consistently heavy load at the Grade ll* listed building,” explained Liam Gentry, of Gentry Services.

“We were therefore delighted when Marshall-Tufflex introduced Voltis ECO and we installed a 100A three-phase unit at the Hall. Other systems had been over-complicated and over-costly for our needs. Voltis ECO was quick to install and gave immediate energy savings by reducing the voltage from 250Volts to around 225Volts. Sir Nicholas is also pleased that the lights no longer blow!”

Sir Nicholas said: “We don’t have to change the light bulbs so often and no doubt other electrical appliances work for longer. That is the practical result of this installation.“

The compact Voltis ECO unit (435mm x 600mm x 275mm) was installed in a cellar. “It was very easy to install,” said Mr Gentry. “Once prepped and in position the installation can easily be turned around in a couple of hours. Voltis ECO is cost-effective and a good bit of kit for the money.”

Not only is the Voltis ECO range highly efficient, it uses multi-tap transformers that allow installers to adjust the ratio by which the transformer drops the voltage by enabling final adjustments on site. Installers can select one of three pre-determined tappings – 10%, 9% or 6% – to best match a site’s incoming Mains voltage. For the Raveningham Hall installation Gentry Services selected the highest setting given the hall’s high load. Multi-tap transformers also allow the tapping to be altered should Mains voltage levels change significantly in the future.

Voltis ECO has been developed for installations requiring a cost-effective and straightforward voltage optimisation solution. It is available in 100A, 200A, 300A and 400A units and is a relatively new addition to Marshall-Tufflex’s portfolio of energy management products for domestic and commercial applications. It appeals most to customers who do not have voltage dependent equipment and whose electrical consumption is characterised by consistent, steady loads where intelligent control for more dynamic loads is not always necessary. Voltis ECO is lighter and smaller than conventional units and comes equipped with integral feet for simple floor mounting. It has no moving parts, require no maintenance and make savings as soon as installation is complete.

Raveningham Hall has been the home of the Bacon family since around 1750. The installation of Marshall-Tufflex’s Voltis ECO is part of the eco-measures in place at Raveningham.