The Problem

The Hidden Cost of Warehouse Electrification

Modern distribution centres are increasingly electrified: automated conveyors, robotic pickers, electric forklift fleets, and high-density LED lighting. Every one of these creates harmonic distortion. And the shift-change demand spike — 20–50 forklifts plugging in simultaneously — creates peak charges that persist for months.

16.5%
Typical electricity reduction achievable in an automated distribution centre through power quality optimisation

What Causes It

Charger Harmonics and Shift-Change Spikes

Battery chargers generate 25–40% current THD. During shift changes, demand spikes 30–50% above normal. Conveyor VFDs add 30–80% individual THDi. LED lighting contributes triplen harmonics. Combined, these push system THD to 6–8% and power factors below 0.88.

Why automation uptime depends on power quality + Read more− Close

WMS systems, barcode scanners, RFID readers, and sortation PLCs are sensitive to voltage distortion. Communication errors on Modbus, Profinet, and EtherNet/IP increase with THDv above 5%, causing mis-sorts, scanning failures, and inventory discrepancies. A single hour of sortation downtime can cost $65,000–$255,000 in delayed orders and SLA penalties.

The Solution

How HarmoniQ Works

HarmoniQ’s narrowband tuning technology manages the chaotic electrical profile of a modern warehouse. Sampling 20,000 times per second, it maintains clean 50/60 Hz power across your facility.

Tier 1
HarmoniQ Filter

Eliminates charger, VFD, and LED harmonics, reducing THD below 5%. Extends conveyor motor life by 20–35%.

HarmoniQ Filter
Tier 2
HarmoniQ Alpha

Stabilises voltage during conveyor starts, crane operations, and dock cycling. Protects WMS, scanning, and sortation from disturbances.

HarmoniQ Alpha
Tier 3
HarmoniQ Booster

Corrects power factor from 0.75–0.88 to 0.98+, managing demand peaks from forklift charging. Eliminates ratchet charges.

HarmoniQ Booster

The Impact

What This Means for Your Distribution Centre
Savings Snapshot50,000 m² automated distribution centre — $1.0M annual electricity cost
MetricBeforeAfter HarmoniQImprovement
Power factor0.810.98+21%
Voltage THD6.5%<3%−54%
Annual electricity cost$1,000,000$850,000−$168,000
Want to know the full picture?

Every facility is different. Our engineers will model the exact savings, deployment costs, and timeline for your specific site — get in touch for a free, no-obligation assessment.

Beyond the Bill

Uptime, Equipment Life & Net Zero

Cleaner power means fewer automation faults, conveyor motors lasting 20–35% longer, and forklift chargers that don’t degrade prematurely.

Annual reduction of 180–300 tonnes CO₂e supports BREEAM, ESOS, and net-zero 2050 targets.

Zero operational disruption
Installs at the main switchboard during normal operations. No conveyor shutdowns, no picking stoppages.

How It Works

Three Steps. Zero Disruption.
1
→
Assess
Our engineers audit your electrical network and identify exactly where energy is being wasted.
2
→
Install
HarmoniQ deploys in parallel at your switchboard — no shutdowns, no disruption, no risk.
3
→
Save
Savings start from day one, verified in real time through our live monitoring portal.

Common Misconceptions

What We Hear — and the Reality
Myth
“Our forklift chargers are smart chargers — they manage their own power draw.”
Reality
Smart chargers optimise charging profiles for battery health, but their rectifier front-ends still generate 25–40% current THD regardless of charging mode. “Smart” refers to the battery management, not the power quality. Twenty smart chargers still create the same harmonic distortion as twenty conventional ones.
Myth
“Our sortation errors are a software or mechanical issue.”
Reality
If mis-sort rates vary by time of day or spike during shift changes when chargers are active, power quality is almost certainly a factor. PLCs and network communications are sensitive to THDv above 5%. A power quality assessment can quantify the correlation and often explains “intermittent” faults that software updates never fix.
Myth
“We’re moving to lithium forklifts — that will fix the charging spike issue.”
Reality
Lithium batteries allow opportunity charging (shorter, more frequent charges) which smooths demand slightly, but each charger still generates the same harmonic distortion. Lithium fleets often increase total harmonic load because chargers run more hours per day. The power quality problem doesn’t change with battery chemistry.