Electricity converter for europe: Adapters and Converters in Europe by Rick Steves

Power Adapters and Converters in Europe

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Getting the Right Adapter(s)

It isn’t just the voltage that’s different in Europe. The wall outlets and sockets are also shaped differently, and can’t accommodate American AC wall adapters or chargers without the right kind of adapter. For travel to Europe, you can find superior quality adapters for 110-to-220V at very reasonable prices. Be mindful when shopping for international adapters for U.S. appliances and devices. Pay close attention or you could wind up with a plug for Japan or China. One of the bigger points to note when it comes to shape is that in the U.K., voltage is the same as most of mainland Europe, however the outlets—and therefore adapters—are shaped differently. If you have a stopover in the U. K., keep in mind you might want to get a universal European adapter. 

Newer Devices Make for Easier Connectivity

More modern devices, those made in the past five years or so, are going to have the dual voltage we discussed above. This makes life on the go in Europe much easier because all you need to purchase is an adapter or two. You can find great adapters online or at your local big-box retailer at prices that range from $.99–$9. There are other universal adapter sets worth your money if you’re a world traveler—they include adapters for anywhere in the world, usually at a cost of $9–$25. An important note: having a great international adapter kit doesn’t mean your dual voltage device will be safe to plug in anywhere in the world. The dual voltage referred to on your smartphone or tablet is 110–220V and some countries work on 100V, 115V, 127V, 230V, or 240V. Your dual voltage device will be safe everywhere in mainland Europe. It’s best to keep in mind that Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, and Spain all run on 230V. This shouldn’t have any effect on how your appliances or tech devices work. Just like at home though, if you start to smell something funny around the outlet, unplug the item immediately.

Why You Might Want to Pick Up a Converter

You only need a converter if you’re using a device that cannot convert 110V to 220V. Today’s smartphones, tablets, and most devices are able to withstand both 110V and 220V electricity without damage because they’ve been manufactured as dual voltage appliances. These newer devices can plug and play—all you need to do is attach the adapter to the plug or charger before plugging it into the European outlet.

On the contrary, flip phones, older laptops, and any device older than around ten years will more than likely become damaged without the use of a converter. Converters can be heavy, cumbersome, and the user must configure both the converter and the adapter into wall outlets before being able to plug in gadgets or appliances.

If you’re worried about your devices, the best bet is to go online and look up their ability to convert the voltage or if they were manufactured as a dual voltage appliance. Talk to the people you purchased it from, call a big box store and speak with an IT person to confirm you’re good to go.

Shop around, figure out what works best for your travels and devices. Like travel, once you’ve done some research, and made the right purchases, you’re basically good to go!

Do I need a travel adapter or a converter abroad?

Last updated: 10 April 2023

Useful information for travellers

Only use plug adapters if the local mains voltage is the same as at home or if you need to power a multi-voltage device. The above charger is multi voltage: it will work with any voltage between 100 and 240 volts.

Travel adapters do NOT convert the voltage!

What do I need to use my appliances abroad?

What do I need to use my appliances abroad? What is the difference between a plug adapter and an electric converter? Here are the facts. First the good news: in many cases you may not need to carry much with you at all…

Plug adapters (or travel adapters)

Travel adapters simply allow a device from one country to be plugged into the wall outlet of another country. However, they do not convert electricity. The plug of a Continental European appliance will not fit into an outlet in a foreign country without a plug adapter. Since a travel adapter does not convert the voltage, you have to be sure that your appliance can deal with the electricity coming out of the socket. That is why you need to check your device’s voltage listing. “INPUT: 100-240 V” means that your device is multi-voltage and that it will work with any voltage between 100 V and 240 V. Luckily, many travel gadgets (such as laptops or phone chargers) are multi or dual voltage, so you will only need a travel adapter. If your device is single voltage (e.g. “INPUT: 120V”) and you are in Europe where the mains voltage is 230 V, you will need to step down the voltage. Enter the converter or transformer.

Converters

Converters and transformers both step up or down the voltage, but there is a difference in use between them. Converters should be used only with “electric” products. Electric products are simple heating devices or have mechanical motors. Examples are hair dryers, steam irons, shavers, toothbrushes or small fans. Converters are not designed for “continuous duty” and should only be used for short periods of time (1 to 2 hours). Additionally, most converters can only be used for ungrounded appliances (2 pins on the plug). Converters must be unplugged from the wall when not in use.

Transformers

Transformers also step up or down the voltage, but they are more expensive than converters and are used with “electronic” products. Electronic products have a chip or circuit. Transformers can also be used with electric appliances and may be operated continually for many days. The advantage of converters, however, is that they are lighter and less expensive.

Computers are electronic devices and therefore they must be used with a transformer, unless they are dual voltage. Fortunately, nowadays all laptop, tablet and phone chargers are dual voltage, so they can be used with only a travel adapter.

Transformers are sold in various sizes based on how much wattage they can support. Therefore you must pay careful attention to the wattage ratings of the appliances to be plugged into a transformer. The wattage rating of the transformer should always be larger than the wattage rating of the appliance to be plugged into it (plus a 25% buffer to allow for heat build-up in the transformer or converter). When plugging multiple items into a power strip, then into the transformer, you have to calculate the combined wattage of all appliances and the power strip, then add an additional 25% to that total.

The appliance’s voltage and wattage requirements are listed on the manufacturer’s label located on the back or at the bottom of the appliance. In some cases, the voltage and amperage will be listed, but not the wattage. If this is the case, simply multiply the voltage by the amperage rating to find the wattage rating (e.g. 230 V * 2 A = 460 W).

Below is a list that gives an idea what the wattage of common appliances is. Use this as a guide only. Always check your appliance first!

• 100 watts (or less): small, low-wattage appliances such as small fans, printers and desktop computers.
• 300 watts: most TVs, electric blankets and refrigerators.
• 500 watts: blenders, projectors and home cinema systems.
• 1000 watts: small heaters and stand mixers.
• 1600 – 2000 watts: hair dryers, dishwashers, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, most appliances that have heating elements such as convector heaters, toasters, deep-frying pans, irons, grills and coffee makers.
• 3000 watts: tumble dryers and big air conditioners.

Transformers and converters only convert the voltage, not the frequency. The difference in cycles may cause the motor in a 50 Hz appliance to operate slightly faster when used on 60 Hz electricity. This cycle difference will cause electric clocks and timing circuits to keep incorrect time: European alarm clocks will run faster on 60 Hz electricity and American clocks will lose some 10 minutes every hour when used in Europe. However, most modern electronic equipment like phone chargers, laptops, printers, etc. are usually not affected by the difference in cycles and adjust themselves automatically.

Trick to know the local voltage

In case you forget to check what the local voltage is in the country you’re going to: here’s a small trick. Just take a look at the glass of an ordinary light bulb or stop at a supermarket and note what is printed on a light bulb packet!

Click here for a global map showing the spread of the different plug types used around the world.

Here you can find a detailed list of the countries of the world with their respective plug and outlet types, voltage and frequency.

Type B

Type C

Type D

Type E

Type F

Type G

Type H

Type I

Type J

Type K

Type L

Type M

Type N

Type O

Type A

SKF has developed bearings for the wave energy converter.

Wave energy is one of the world’s largest environmentally friendly sources of electricity. Its potential is enough to meet 10% of the world’s total energy needs. At the moment, the world’s leading wave energy project is being implemented at CorPower Ocean enterprises in the capital of Sweden, Stockholm.

“What makes wave energy particularly attractive is the smooth dynamics of its production. This source can play a significant role in the transition to 100% renewable energy, replacing coal and nuclear energy,” says Patrick Moeller, CEO of CorPower Ocean.

Founded in 2010, CorPower Ocean has developed its first full scale inverter after several cycles of research and development. Its tests took place at the company’s stand in the summer of 2022, and then, in the autumn of the same year, the converter was placed in the ocean off the coast of Portugal. The goal is to introduce a finished commercial product to the global market in 2024.

“We look forward to becoming Sweden’s leading export company for the manufacture and supply of wave energy converters, and we see huge potential for this technology,” says Møller.

Help is indispensable

One of the partners in the project, SKF, joined early to provide assistance in selecting different types of bearings, lubrication and monitoring. “We faced challenges right from the start: slow rotational motion and heavy loads,” said Jakob Jungbeck, Mechanical Engineer at CorPower Ocean, responsible for designing a number of product components.

We see great potential for this technology

Patrick Møller , CEO of CorPower Ocean.

When he opened the SKF online calculator and entered the values ​​for loads and speeds, the program generated an error message. “I realized that we could not do without help,” says the engineer, “so I contacted SKF.”

As a result, Jungbeck found SKF engineer Yvonne Rydberg. Rydberg recalls: “As an implementation engineer, it was a real pleasure for me to join this project at such an early stage. If you join late, there is a risk that the work will consist mainly of fixing other people’s mistakes. Here we were in the project from the very beginning and could make a really valuable contribution with our know-how while the concept was in development.”

Workshop at SKF

Initially there was a lot of communication by phone and email. More and more questions arose, and so, in order to move forward and get real results, an SKF workshop in Gothenburg was organized.

“We spent a whole day learning about bearings in detail, from bearing types and sizes and seals to lubrication and mounting,” says Rydberg. “We have combined many individual fragments into a big picture.”

Jungbeck also found the seminar very useful. “It was extremely helpful for me to sit down and walk all over the bearing in one go,” he explains. “It definitely saved us a few weeks in the development phase.”

During the workshop, the working group identified a basic solution that looked promising and eventually formed the basis of a number of models. “In total,” says Jungbeck, “we have developed four bearing models that we are currently testing. The idea is to ask SKF for help later, evaluate the bearings and find the most cost-effective solution for our needs.”

SKF Engineer Yvonne Rydberg is looking forward to continuing the project and emphasizes the importance of joining early in development when only a few parameters have been set. “At this stage, the value of our contribution can be maximized and the client really benefits from our joint know-how.”

Benefits of close cooperation

For customers, close cooperation with SKF at an early stage of design provides many benefits:

• Focus on goals or plans for the future – look beyond the simple solution of specific problems.
• Cost Benefits – Identifying suitable commercial solutions for a given task.
• Save time – the ability to quickly check whether a given choice or decision is correct.
• Use of professional competence – access to the know-how and experience of SKF employees.

Wave Energy: Future Potential

Wave energy is a huge potential source of clean electricity. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that wave energy can provide approximately 30,000 TWh per year, which is 10 times the annual energy consumption of Europe.

Wave energy can be used alone, on site, or in combination with other renewable sources such as tides and wind turbines. It is a potential clean energy source for island or offshore industries such as fish farms and oil and gas platforms, or in areas without functioning infrastructure.

“Wave energy is one of the largest untapped sources of clean energy on Earth, with enormous potential for commercial use in the coming years,” says Michael Bauman, SKF’s Ocean Energy Manager.

The western coast of North and South America and large areas of the North Sea in Europe look promising in terms of receiving wave energy.

Related technologies such as CorPower are still less advanced than tidal turbines. However, the potential of wave energy is much greater than that of ebbs and flows.

So far, a number of prototype wave power equipment have been tested in harsh marine environments. The use of this energy is in the early stages of development, so the cost of solutions is relatively high, but there is great potential for reducing it. The reliability of these technologies needs to be proven, with the ability to set a levelized cost of energy (LCoE) that can compete with the cost of offshore wind energy.

The EU Green Deal and the Horizon R&D program are providing significant funding for wave and tidal technology. The first goal is to install 100 MW ocean power plants with a further increase to 1 GW by 2030.

SKF, for its part, is solving the technical problems associated with generating wave energy using components from related industries such as marine, oil and gas, wind and hydropower.

CorPower Ocean Project – Step by Step

CorPower has tested its strength through continuous operation and exposure to all kinds of wave conditions, including extreme storm surges.

The company has completed preparatory work at the test site in Agucadura, Portugal, including the installation of UMACK anchors and a 6. 2 km long export cable, and the reconstruction/upgrade of the substation.

The power unit was also completed and transported from Sweden to Portugal for installation on a composite buoy.

Converters for generating energy from waves

Wave energy is a branch of energy associated with obtaining energy from sea waves. The resulting energy can be used to desalinate water, pump water and generate electricity.

The first patent for a device for obtaining energy from sea waves was issued in 1799 years in Paris. In the same place, in 1910, the first device for capturing wave energy was built.

Wave energy received special attention during the 1973 oil crisis. Scientists from the Norwegian Institute of Technology, Bristol University and Lancaster University were involved in the development of new devices.

After oil prices stabilized, funding for research declined.

The first experimental wave power plant was built in Portugal, it has a capacity of about 2 MW.

The main elements of the power plant are three Pelamis P-750 converters, which bend under the action of waves. Special pistons supply oil to hydraulic motors that drive electric generators.

In the future, it is planned to expand the power plant by building new converters.

According to scientists, the total potential of wave energy around the world is about 2 TW. The most promising are: the western coast of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the northern coast of Great Britain. As well as some coasts in North and South America.

Problems that the use of wave energy may cause are under investigation. Wave energy can have a negative impact on local flora and fauna. Also, wave converters cause noise, which can adversely affect fishing.

A variety of converters are used to generate wave power, some of which are:

The Pacific Northwest Co-op is funding the construction of a wave park in Oregon based on buoys. Buoy vibrations from waves are transmitted to a special generator.