An innovative device improving the quality of electricity for consumers tested in the “sandbox” of innovation of Lietuvos Energija

Household electrical appliances are very sensitive to voltage fluctuations and quality, so each consumer of electricity has experienced that voltage fluctuations may lead to a stopped functioning of a washing machine, turned off TV set or disruptions in the work of Internet devices. This phenomenon is caused by voltage fluctuations resulting from asymmetric loads in the low voltage (0.4 kV) network in particular.

Up until now, if a customer’s complaint on the quality of voltage proved right, the only solution to the problem was the reconstruction of the electricity network. However, the new technology has the potential to speed up and reduce the cost of solving problems related to the quality of electricity supplied to customers.

Ensto celebrating its 60^th anniversary of being in business signed a cooperation agreement with ESO on the participation in the Sandbox project and tested the load balancing device known as an Ensto Phase Balancer. Ensto Lietuva declared that the innovative device should solve voltage quality problems in the low voltage (0.4 kV) network. Since June, the balancer has been tested in ESO network, in Valai neighbourhood in Vilnius district. In parallel, this test was also carried out in Estonian electricity networks.

The solution was tested through the Sandbox project of the Innovation Center established by Lietuvos Energija. Using the infrastructure of the companies managed by Lietuvos Energija, technology developers can test their projects free of charge, while innovation experts assess whether or not they can be useful in solving the company’s technological and business problems.

 

 The innovation has proven to be a true success: the device allows assessing the change in voltage quality of electricity lines, while parameters are seen in real time in the so-called “Cloud” technology. According to assessment of ESO innovation experts, the Phase Balancer or other similar types of equipment will become an alternative to network reconstructions in the future. These devices cost tens of times less than a complete network reconstruction.

 

All companies, technology start-ups, universities or research centres can take part in the Sandbox project of the Innovation Centre of Lietuvos Energija. The Group provides free access to the infrastructure, but project participants must commit to present test results to specialists of the company.