Voltek Featured on “The Build Show” Video Series

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

  • R.I. District Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for New Elementary School

    Cranston Public Schools in Cranston, R.I., recently announced the completion of Gladstone Elementary School, according to a news release. The 100,000-square-foot facility serves as a replacement for the 1950s-era former building, and it consolidates the student, faculty, and staff populations of Gladstone and Arlington Elementary Schools.

  • Missouri K–12 District Cuts Ribbons on Two New Middle Schools

    Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Mo., recently celebrated the completion of two new middle school facilities with ribbon-cutting ceremonies, according to a district news release. The district officially opened the new Pipkin Middle School and Reed Academy on Sept. 3, both of which were funded through the $220-million Proposition S bond program approved by voters in 2023.

  • URI Cuts Underwater Ribbon on New Ocean Robotics Laboratory

    The University of Rhode Island recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Ocean Robotics Laboratory at its Narragansett Bay Campus, according to a news release. Two students used a remotely operated vehicle to cut an underwater ribbon in a 30-by-20-foot test tank.

  • Embry-Riddle Completes Construction on Research, Lab Facility

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced the end of construction on a new research and lab facility on campus. The Center for Aerospace Engineering II (CAT II) will support aerospace research and technology development and broke ground last summer.