Star performer aiming to save on energy bills

Dr Alex Mardapittas has devised a system which could play a major role in combating global warming by making the public and private sectors more energy efficient.

He's the managing director of Rotherham-based EMSc (UK), which is the company behind the energy-saving Powerstar system, a transformer which controls a building's incoming voltage in order to save money and reduce carbon emissions.

Over the last year, EMSc (UK) has seen its full-year turnover soar from 8m to 13m and it has increased its staff numbers by 25 per cent, to 60 people.

Mr Mardapittas said: "This has been an outstanding 12 months for us.

"The interest in Powerstar is putting us on track to significantly increase turnover in the current financial year."

In the UK, the company's customers include blue chip companies such as Leeds-based supermarket chain Asda, Punch Taverns, Rotherham-based manufacturer AESSEAL and the NHS.

Most electrical equipment manufactured for Europe and the UK is rated at 220 volts. However, the average voltage supplied from the National Grid is 242 volts. This means, that in most cases, companies are being supplied with more voltage than they need – and they're paying for it whether they want it or not.

Powerstar "optimises" the voltage by bringing it in line with the actual needs of the equipment on site.

Voltage optimisation works by reducing the voltage supplied by the National Grid to a "normal" level of 230 volts.

According to EMSc (UK), a 5 per cent voltage reduction can lead to an energy saving of at least 10 per cent.

All Powerstar components – including paint – are sourced from UK manufacturers. The equipment and all its associated software are designed by EMSc.

Powerstar was commissioned to provide its "voltage optimisation" service in 120 of Punch Taverns' pubs as part of a strategy to reduce the company's carbon footprint by 17 per cent before the end of 2010.

Results from the initial installations show average savings of between 15-18 per cent in energy consumption on each site.

The system is based on the work of Dr Mardapittas, who is a former research assistant in the manufacturing and engineering system department at Brunel University.

He's a chartered engineer who has built up extensive knowledge of software programming and engineering design.

In the late 1980s, he worked for Ericcson Telecom in Sweden, where he was involved in the development of the memory chip used in mobile phones.

In 1998, he founded EMSc (UK) with the aim of developing a business that makes and sells energy-saving products. The company is also expanding its global presence with the signing of distribution agreements to supply Powerstar in Australia, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and Greece. EMSc (UK) has also recently established an office in Cyprus.

Dr Mardapittas said that, apart from protecting the environment, Powerstar helped equipment to last longer.

He said: "Energy saved is profit made. A lot of people have good ideas, but it's the implementation of those ideas which is the important aspect. Thomas Edison said that genius is one per cent inspiration and 99 per cent perspiration. That's absolutely correct.

"Most people give up after the one per cent inspiration. Three years ago, our turnover was just 1m.

"In theory, we could be in every country in the world soon. Any expansion has risks, so we will expand in a controlled way."