BAD power factor?? [RE-wrenches]

[Michael Welch]

Hi Todd. CFs can have horrible power factors. See the letter to the editor in the new Home Power.

Sylvania uses CFs in their examples of PF:
www.sylvania.com/forum/pdfs/faq0002-0297.pdf

This article makes it quite clear that folks should be looking for CFs with high power factors. Here is a quote, and please note that when you are making your own electric power, you are the utility, and therefore eating the results of poor power factor.

"While the consumer saves watts with any of the compact fluorescent alternatives, the utility must generate nearly the same amount of VA for the magnetic adapter unit as for the incandescent lamp. While this is an extreme case, it does illustrate the effect of power factor. Some "better" retrofit units have power factors ranging from 30% - 50% (0.3 to 0.5). High power factor products do offer the customer an additional benefit as well. On a one for one replacement/retrofit onto existing circuits for incandescent lamps (15 or 20 amperes), multiple normal power factor units may trip the breakers. High power factor ballasts allow more lamps per circuit than do normal power factor ballasts. Note that these high power factor units will be slightly higher in cost."

Todd Cory, Mt. Shasta Energy Services wrote at 06:13 PM 03/10/2003:
  
>Wrenches what's up with the wattage rating on the CF lamps these days? I
>have different lamps from two separate manufacturers. These are "made in
>China" lamps purchased at Cost-Co ®.
>
>Lamp 1 "13" watts:  says 175 ma X 120 volts = 21 watts (a 60% increase
>over stated lamp wattage)
>
>Lamp 2 "14" watts: says 200 ma X 120 volts = 24 watts (a 70% increase
>over stated lamp wattage)
>
>Is this outright deception or bad power factor from cheap design... or
>both?
>
>Todd

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