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

  • How One School Reimagined Learning Spaces—and What Others Can Learn

    When Collegedale Academy, a PreK–8 school outside Chattanooga, Tenn., needed a new elementary building, we faced the choice that many school leaders eventually confront: repair an aging facility or reimagine what learning spaces could be. Our historic elementary school held decades of memories for families, including some who had once walked its halls as children themselves. But years of wear and the need for costly repairs made it clear that investing in the old building would only patch the problems rather than solve them.

  • Armstrong World Industries Acquires Geometrik

    Armstrong World Industries, designer and manufacturer of interior and exterior architectural applications like ceilings, walls, and metal solutions, recently announced its acquisition of Canada-based Geometrik, according to a news release. The British Columbian Geometrik specializes in designing and manufacturing wood acoustical and wall systems.

  • California Middle School Completes Two New Academic Buildings

    Sunnyvale Middle School in Sunnyvale, Calif., recently announced that construction is complete on two new classroom buildings of two stories each, according to a district news release. The new wing will house seventh- and eighth-grade students and is part of a larger campus modernization project.

  • California High School Starts Construction on STEAM, Music Buildings

    Tamalpais High School, part of the Tamalpais Union High School District, recently broke ground on two new major facilities for its campus in Mill Valley, Calif., according to a news release. The district is partnering with Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) and Lathrop Construction Associates for the Science Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) and Music Buildings, both replacing their outdated counterparts.