power factor correction [RE-wrenches]

[Ron Schroeder]

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Hi Todd,

Correcting power factor will reduce transmission losses but residential 
meters (both analog and digital) only respond to true power, not reactive 
power so there will be negligible difference in meter reading.

While digital meters such as the common GE Kv series can measure reactive 
power, I don't believe that any residential rate codes have them programmed 
that way.

Ron Schroeder

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Todd Cory, Mt. Shasta Energy Services" <toddcory at finestplanet.com>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2007 8:47 AM
Subject: power factor correction [RE-wrenches]


>
> Wrenches,
>
> I recently got this link from a customer.
>
> http://electric-bill-discount.com/how-it-works/
>
> They are wondering if this device will actually save any energy use.
>
> I know about power factor, and as I understand it, home energy loads are
> resistive, inductive and capacitive. Motors are inductive loads,
> electronics are capacitive loads, loads that create are resistive loads.
> Capacitive and inductive loads will cause the power and current wave
> forms to become slightly out of phase which changes the power factor. As
> the older analog meters only registered resistive power (do digital ones
> measure and compensate for power factor?), one way you get a slight
> amount of free power and the other way you pay a slight increase on your
> power bill from what you use.  For optimal efficiency voltage and
> current should be in phase.
>
> Question: Will a device that corrects power factor (this thing is
> probably just a capacitor right?) actually save any energy... or does it
> just cheat the meter's ability to record the actual power consumption?
>
> Todd 


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