Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Voltek Featured on “The Build Show” Video Series

  • By Matt Jones
  • 05/21/21

Low voltage power solutions company Voltek Systems Inc. was featured in a recent episode of the popular home remodeling YouTube series "The Build Show." Host Matt Risinger, a contractor who specializes in architect-driven and fine craftmanship work, discussed the installation of low-voltage wired and powered USB outlets that can power devices like smartphones and laptops without the use of a bulky charging brick. The outlets provide input ports for both USB-A and USB-C cables.

A centrally mounted Voltek Rack Mount Power Supply unit converts 110-volt power into DC, which is distributed up to 1,000 feet through a low voltage cable to each outlet. One unit can provide power for up to 12 USB outlets installed throughout a facility. Outlets wired to the central rack mount can be placed anywhere in a building for easy charging capabilities without excess equipment. The rack-mounted power supply unit can also be attached to a battery backup to run for hours in the event of a power outage.

Wall-mounted USB outlets have grown in popularity in spaces like huddle areas, classrooms, study rooms, residence halls, and offices, as they offer the ability to charge a device conveniently and discreetly.

Voltek’s primary focus has been on the K–12 and Higher Education spaces, where laptops have become the norm for the teaching environment.  Nearly every model of laptop now charges over a USB-C connection, and the Voltek system provides the ability to charge these without the need for the AC-to-DC conversion brick. Voltek also aims to keep the laptop charging while the device is in use, as opposed to the student having to dock it on a charge cart and remove it from the learning environment during the interim.

Installation of Voltek outlets doesn’t require a licensed electrician, and they can easily be deployed as a retrofit in learning environments lacking electrical outlets. Additionally, they offer a significant cost savings over traditional 110 AC outlets when installed in a new construction project. Providing only low voltage power at the outlet, they are also safer due to no risk of electrical shock.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Rethinking K-12 Schools as a Continuous Learning Experience

    Most students move through three or more separate facilities during their K-12 journey, yet the built environments they encounter at each stage have traditionally been designed in isolation, with little continuity in spatial language, learning philosophy, or physical resources. Each new school is a reset with different layouts, learning models, expectations, and ways of moving through a building. The next generation of school design is making the case that the first day of kindergarten and the last day of high school can and should feel connected through common support systems and infrastructure in the physical environment.

  • KWK Architects Announces Full Transition to Lawrence Group Branding

    KWK Architects recently announced that it will complete its transition to the Lawrence Group brand effective July 1, according to a news release. The merger marks the end of a three-year strategic integration process that began in March 2023 to unite the firms.

  • Montclair State University Starts Construction on $120M STEM Building

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $120-million Interdisciplinary Science Building, according to university news. The university partnered with HoK Architects for the project’s design, and it’s scheduled to open in time for the 2028–29 academic year.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.