Every electrical system needs the same level of protection.

The first question shouldn’t simply be, “How much Technology do I need?” The question should be, “What am I trying to protect?”

There are two fundamentally different approaches to Clean Volt™ deployment: Catastrophic Event Protection and POWER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT.

Understanding the difference is critical when determining where Clean Volt™ should be installed and how much of the technology the electrical system requires.

Two Protection Strategies

1. Catastrophic Event Protection

Should your primary concern be protection from catastrophic electrical events and disturbances coming from the grid, the strategy is relatively straightforward.

Clean Volt™ should be installed at the main electrical service, with additional protection at any point where the system steps down to a lower voltage.

This creates protection at the key entry points into the electrical system and helps protect connected equipment from significant incoming electrical disturbances.

For a home with a single electrical panel, this can be particularly simple. Should the home have only one electrical panel and the goal is catastrophic event protection, one appropriately selected Clean Volt™ unit is all that is required.

However, electrical systems become more complex when power is distributed to additional panels.

2. Power Quality Enhancement

Power quality requires a different approach.

If the goal is to improve power quality throughout the electrical system, reduce equipment interaction, and help connected equipment operate with cleaner power, protecting only the main service is not enough.

Every load center needs to be considered.

The reasons for this are:

Electrical disturbances aren’t only coming from outside the building.

The majority are generated within the electrical system itself.

Modern electrical equipment creates a constantly changing electrical environment. Motors cycle on and off. Variable frequency drives and other electronic equipment interact with the electrical system. Harmonic distortion, load cycling and other electrical activity results in current surges and disturbances.

At a load center, these disturbances can travel across the bus and affect neighbouring circuits.

In other words, the equipment connected to one circuit can influence the electrical conditions experienced by equipment connected to another.

This is where Clean Volt™ takes a different approach.

Protecting the Electrical System from Within

When Clean Volt™ is installed at a load center, it provides a path for damaging electrical occurrences created within that electrical system to be absorbed by the Clean Volt™ device.

The goal is to help limit the interaction between connected devices.

Rather than allowing disturbances generated by one piece of equipment to freely interact with neighbouring equipment, Clean Volt™ helps manage those occurrences at the panel where they are being generated.

This distinction is particularly important today.

Modern electrical equipment is significantly more sophisticated and sensitive than decades ago. Electronics, controls, automation systems, variable frequency drives, communication equipment and other sensitive loads can have much lower tolerance for electrical disturbances.

That means the electrical environment itself matters.

One Clean Volt™ Device Is Not Always Enough in a Multi-Load-Center System.

A common misconception is that installing one surge protection device at the main electrical panel automatically protects all downstream load centers.

That may be appropriate when the objective is catastrophic event protection. However, Power quality enhancement requires a more comprehensive strategy.

Consider a commercial, industrial or agricultural facility with a main service feeding several load center subpanels:

Main Service

↓

Load Center 1 → Equipment

↓

Load Center 2 → Equipment

↓

Load Center 3 → Equipment

Protecting the main service only addresses disturbances entering the facility.

It does not necessarily address the electrical activity being generated at each downstream load center.

Every time power is distributed to another panel, a new electrical environment is created. The equipment connected to that panel can generate its own disturbances, which can then interact with other connected loads.

For power quality enhancement, each load center becomes part of the protection strategy.

From the Main Service to Every Load Center, this principle applies regardless of the type of facility.

Residential

A home with a single electrical panel is relatively straightforward.

Should that panel be the only load center in the system, one appropriately selected Clean Volt™ unit can provide both catastrophic event protection and power quality enhancement for that electrical environment.

Should additional load centers be added, the deployment strategy changes.

Commercial

Commercial buildings can contain multiple load centers serving HVAC systems, lighting, refrigeration, computers, security systems, kitchen equipment and other electrical loads.

When power quality is a concern, each load center should be considered as part of the overall Clean Volt™ deployment strategy.

Industrial

Industrial facilities can have an even more dynamic electrical environment with motors, pumps, compressors, automation equipment, variable frequency drives and other large or sensitive loads.

These systems can generate significant electrical activity that can affect neighbouring equipment.

A power quality strategy therefore needs to look beyond the main service and consider the facility’s entire distribution system.

Agriculture

Agricultural operations face many of the same challenges.

Pumps, fans, motors, grain handling equipment, ventilation systems, livestock equipment and other electrical loads can create constantly changing conditions within the electrical system.

Whether the facility is a farm, feed mill or agricultural processing operation, the same principle applies:

When power quality is the objective, every load center needs to be considered.

Protection vs. Power Quality

Ultimately, Clean Volt™ deployment comes down to the objective.

The important distinction is that catastrophic event protection follows the path of incoming power, while power quality enhancement follows the electrical system all the way to its load centers.

A More Complete Approach to Electrical Protection

Today’s electrical systems are more interconnected and sensitive than ever.

Protecting a facility isn’t simply about preparing for the one major event that might happen someday. It is also about understanding what is happening inside the electrical system every day.

When power quality is the concern, the objective is to create a cleaner electrical environment throughout the entire distribution system.

This means looking beyond the main service.

Main service protection can protect against what comes into the building. Comprehensive load-centre protection helps address what happens inside the system.

Whether you’re protecting a home, commercial building, industrial operation or agricultural facility, the right Clean Volt™ deployment strategy starts by identifying your objective:

Should your primary concern be catastrophic events and incoming disturbances, protect the main service and applicable voltage step-downs.

Should your concern be power quality, equipment interaction, equipment life cycle and efficiency, every load center needs to be considered as part of the strategy.

The correct protection strategy isn’t necessarily about installing more equipment. It’s about protecting the appropriate points in the electrical system for the outcome you’re trying to achieve.

Have Questions About Your Clean Volt™ Deployment?

Every electrical system is different, and determining the right deployment strategy starts with understanding your specific system and goals. If you’re unsure where Clean Volt™ should be installed, how many units your system may require, or which solution is right for your application, reach out to the Clean Volt™ team. Give us a call, send us an email, or fill out our contact form, and we’ll be happy to help you determine the right approach for your electrical system.