Many electric utilities are deploying advanced voltage optimization (VO) technology for energy conservation: VO can save up to 4% of the energy supplied to a grid. Deployment of VO technology can illuminate existing grid issues, and addressing those areas can help utilities to further improve reliability, performance, safety and customer service.
“Historically, most distribution voltage issues have not been obvious to utilities or their customers,” explained Todd Headlee, director of DVI, a leading provider of VO technology. “Utilities must maintain voltage within a specified range, but the U.S. market does not have firm penalties for straying outside that range. Elsewhere, such as in Australia, distribution system operators are actively fined for going outside the voltage band.”
