What is a low energy maglock?
Two primary parts make up our low energy maglocks. The electro-magnet part is generally fixed to the door frame. Meanwhile, the corresponding armature plate is attached to the door leaf itself.
When electrical power is run through an electro-magnet, it generates a powerful magnetic field. That magnetic field creates the force that holds the armature plate to the magnet and keeps the door locked. If the electrical current is removed, the magnetic field drops, the magnet releases the armature plate, and the door can be opened.
We’ve updated our V5SR 500kg electro-magnetic lock so that it requires less electrical energy to generate the same powerful holding force between the magnet and the armature plate. That means the new version is more eco-friendly and much cheaper to run.
Benefits of low energy maglocks
All electro-magnetic locks are fail safe. If the door they’re mounted on prevents access to a restricted area, the door probably needs to be locked most of the time. As a result, the electro-magnetic locks requires a constant supply of electricity to ensure the door stays locked. When an authorised person swipes a card, inputs a keypad code, or scans their fingerprint, the access control system temporarily cuts the electricity supply to the magnet. That means the magnetic field drops and the armature plate separates so the door can be opened.
Because electro-magnetic locks need to be powered most of the time, the amount of electricity they require is important. The more energy needed to power the magnet, the greater the running costs will be. Our new low energy maglocks are specially designed to use less power to do the same job. With no compromises on security or robustness, the new V5SR needs lower Wattage to generate the same magnetic field.
Using less energy means the carbon footprint of each maglock is reduced. It also means lower energy bills. End users win, the planet wins; what’s not to love?
How much could you save with low energy maglocks?
Example: the V5SR
The V5SR is a 500kg electro-magnetic lock. It’s ideal for securing high security internal doors and external doors. With live status monitoring and LED endcaps, the V5SR is popular in many different sectors and building types.
The old V5SR
The older version of the V5SR was rated to consume 500mA of electricity when powered at 12Vdc. In Watts, that’s around 0.006 kilowatts.
For the purposes of this calculation, we’re going to say the maglock is powered for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In real life that’s likely not correct. Whenever the door is opened, that electricity supply is dropped briefly. For simplicity, we’ll say 24 hours.
According to the UK energy price cap in January 2024, it cost around 4.18 pence to provide 0.006 kW for a whole day.
If we multiply 4.18p by the 365 days in the year, we get an annual price of £15.26 for a single electro-magnetic lock. Remember that number!
The new V5SR
In comparison to the old version, the new V5SR is rated at 290mA when powered at 12Vdc. In Watts, that’s 0.00348 kW.
To power this version for 24 hours, the cost is 2.42 pence.
For the whole year, it therefore costs around £8.83 to power the new maglock.
Compared to the old V5SR, that’s 42% less spent on energy. Not so bad!
Saving energy & helping the planet
Low consumption magnets aren’t just good for your pockets. They’re also a big win for the planet.
One unit of the old V5SR would consume approximately 52.5 kilowatts annually (if powered all day, every day). The new version? Just 30.5 kilowatts. This energy saving alone is enough to boil a kettle 110 times!
In addition to its other added benefits, the V5SR is protected by a 10-year warranty. Let’s imagine a medium-size building with 50 maglock-secured doors. Over those ten years, you would save more than £3200 and 11,000 kilowatts of electricity by choosing low energy maglocks. That energy saving would keep an LCD television powered for 2,628 hours – the equivalent of more than 109 continuous days!
*note that the figures are calculated using the per kWh rates for households, not businesses, due to the availability of information at the time of writing.
