What is HV and LV infrastructure and what could it do for your business?

Table of Contents

1. What is HV and LV?
2. Key HV Infrastructure Components
3. Why Are HV/LV Infrastructure Important for Your Business?
4. Reasons to Consider a HV Energy Upgrade
5. Common Challenges and Solutions in HV/LV Infrastucture
6. Upgrade your HV Infrastructure

What is HV and LV?

HV/LV refers to the level of voltage within the electricity supply; it is either high or low. This infrastructure allows the electrical supply for various areas of a site to be altered depending on the equipment’s requirements.

Key Takeaways

1. HV/LV infrastructure upgrades ensure efficient and safe electricity distribution, reducing energy losses.
2. Installing modern transformers and switchgears allows businesses to control and optimize voltage across their systems.
3. Upgrading to HV/LV infrastructure can improve operational efficiency, especially for large-scale industrial sites.
4. Compliance with UK HV/LV infrastructure regulations is critical for business safety and avoiding penalties.
5. Regular maintenance of HV/LV systems extends their lifespan and prevents costly operational downtime.

Known within the industry as an ‘energy upgrade,’ updating your infrastructure to allow switches between high voltage (HV) and low voltage (LV) represents a significant improvement in efficiency for most suitable businesses.

• High-Voltage Systems (HV): Typically, HV systems operate at voltages above 1,000 volts and transmit electricity across long distances, such as from power plants to substations. These systems reduce energy losses during transmission, making them vital for large-scale power distribution.
• Low-Voltage Systems (LV): LV systems generally operate up to 1,000 volts and are used within buildings and for end-user applications. They distribute electricity to various devices and equipment, making them integral to daily operations in businesses and homes.

Understanding the distinction between HV and LV systems is key to ensuring that your business’s electrical infrastructure is both safe and efficient.

Key HV Infrastructure Components

The installation of a modern transformer and switchgear is central to the creation of HV/LV infrastructure. These are the components that make switching between voltages possible. They will integrate with your electrical infrastructure to make better use of the power coming to your site.

The transformer is the component that will actually increase or decrease the voltage within your power supply. It is a standard component in large electrical systems, like power stations. A new transformer on your site will afford you much more control over the electrical currents flowing within your systems.

Switchgears are also essential in HV/LV infrastructure. These components have a history as old as the national grid, though they have improved significantly over the decades. The purpose of switchgear is to control the current flowing to various parts of an electrical system, helping to isolate various components as needed. When combined with a transformer, switchgear enables you to vary the voltage of your electrical current as it flows to different areas and components within your site’s electrical system.

Why Are HV/LV Infrastructure Important for Your Business?

HV/LV infrastructure plays a vital role in ensuring the smooth operation of your business. Here’s why they matter:

• Operational Efficiency: Properly designed and maintained HV/LV infrastructure ensures electricity is delivered efficiently, reducing energy losses and improving overall productivity. Outdated or poorly maintained HV/LV infrastructure can lead to up to 10% energy losses, significantly impacting operational costs. This efficiency translates into lower operational costs and higher reliability in your power supply.
• Cost Implications: While the initial installation of HV/LV infrastructure can be significant, long-term energy costs and maintenance savings can be substantial. Businesses that upgrade to modern HV/LV systems can reduce energy consumption by 20-30%, translating to significant savings over time. Moreover, investing in a robust HV/LV system can prevent costly downtime and extend the lifespan of your electrical infrastructure.
• Compliance and Regulations: Businesses must comply with strict regulations regarding installing and maintaining HV/LV infrastructure. Adhering to these standards ensures safety and helps avoid legal penalties and operational disruptions.

Reasons to Consider an HV Energy Upgrade

Several commercial factors must be considered when deciding whether or not to proceed with the installation of HV/LV infrastructure. In general, larger industrial sites are likely to see the largest benefits, as voltage transformation is most useful when electricity needs to be supplied to multiple components with different requirements.

Modernisation

Many sites will benefit from the modernisation that HV/LV infrastructure brings. Many older electrical systems are unsuited to dealing with the requirements of modern equipment. There is also a natural loss of efficiency as the components of these systems age. Investing in modern infrastructure will ensure that your electrical system is up to date and as efficient as possible, which means that you won’t be wasting money by supplying the wrong levels of power to different parts of your system.
Upgrading will also minimise the risk of your system failing suddenly, avoiding the financial and operational losses that would follow a significant electrical issue.

Respond to changing environments

Another benefit of HV/LV infrastructure is the ability of your electrical system to keep up with changing power requirements. Even if your system is fairly up to date, it may not be able to respond fully to the introduction of new machinery or components.
Upgraded infrastructure is flexible enough to deal with changes to your system. It allows you to monitor the power supplies to different areas and components, updating the system and adapting to new changes without reducing your power supply’s efficiency. For a growing or changing business, an energy upgrade will ensure that your system can keep up with shifting operational requirements.

Improve efficiency

Finally, upgrading to HV/LV infrastructure will improve the efficiency of almost any complex electrical system. Even if your existing infrastructure is fairly new or you’re not planning on making significant changes to your facility, upgraded infrastructure is designed to maximise your power supply’s efficiency.

Its primary function is to ensure that every component in an electrical system receives the appropriate voltage. This means that you won’t waste money on oversupplying parts of your system and that you’ll have the capacity to run all your machinery and components at the level you require. In turn, this will give you more value per unit of electricity that you consume and increase the efficiency of your operations and processes.

Common Challenges and Solutions in HV/LV Infrastructure

While HV/LV infrastructure is essential for business operations, it comes with challenges. Here’s how to tackle them:

• Installation Challenges: One of the most common issues during installation is ensuring the system is compatible with existing infrastructure. This often requires careful planning and, in some cases, upgrading older systems to meet current standards.
• Maintenance Issues: HV/LV infrastructure may experience wear and tear over time, leading to potential failures. Regular maintenance prevents insulation breakdowns, faulty connections, or equipment malfunctions. A preventive maintenance schedule can help detect problems early and reduce the risk of costly downtime.
• Technological Advances: Staying up-to-date with the latest HV/LV technology advancements can greatly improve system performance. For instance, modern monitoring tools can provide real-time data on system performance, allowing for quicker response to any issues and optimising overall efficiency.

Upgrade your HV infrastructure

EvoEnergy’s HV/LV installation service has everything you need to ensure a seamless transition to upgraded infrastructure. We tailor our installation and management service to match your requirements and ensure your new infrastructure operates as expected. Get in touch today.

Read more about a project where we installed an HV/LV transformer.