Lithuanian electricity and gas distribution operator Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius (ESO) and Finnish capital company Ensto Lietuva have successfully tested an innovative device that improves power quality for consumers. Device was tested in Sandbox project, managed by the Innovation Hub of the Energy Company Group Lietuvos Energija.
Electrical home appliances are very sensitive to voltage fluctuations and quality. Customers know that because of voltage fluctuations, the washing machine stops working, the TV turns off or the work of the Internet equipment interrupts. The reason for this phenomenon is voltage fluctuations due to asymmetric loads inlow voltage (0.4 kV) networks.
So far, after confirming the customer's complaint regarding power quality, reconstruction of the electricity lines used to be the only way to solve the problem. However, the new technology has the potential to reduce the cost and time required to solve power quality problems for customer.
This year Ensto celebrates its 60th anniversary and signed to participate in the "Sandbox" project together with ESO. Ensto donated to the project the phase balancing device (Ensto Phase Balancer). Ensto Lietuva declared that innovative device is capable of solving power quality problems in low-voltage networks (0,4 kV). Since June, phase balancer has been put into test in ESO network in Valai village, Vilnius region. In parallel such test is being performed in Estonian DSO network.
This innovative solution has been tested through the Sandbox project of the Innovation Hub established by Lietuvos Energija. Developers of technology can test their proposed projects free of charge in the Lietuvos Energija group’s infrastructure, whereas innovation experts assess whether the technology can be useful while dealing with technological and business issues of the Company.
Innovative Ensto phasebalancer testing was a true success. Device’s measurements allowed to evaluate improvements of power quality in power lines, measured parameters are visible in real time in the so-called Cloud technology. According to ESO‘s innovation experts, Phase Balancer or other similar devices, will become an alternative to network transformation in the future. Such devices cost tens of times less than the full reconstruction of the network lines.
Any companies, technology pioneers, universities or science centers that create innovative solutions in the field of energy can participate in the Sandbox project, managed by the Innovation Hub of Lietuvos Energija. Lietuvos Energija group providesaccess to infrastructure free of charge, however, participants of the project must commit to present testing results to the specialists of the Company.