Residential power factor correction devices...

[Ksyder]

A friend of mine is selling these and he says you can save on electricity costs if you use them:

http://www.energyindependences...or-Correction-Video/9/

He doesn't know much about them and is not very tech-oriented so I'm skeptical.

Anyone know about these things and whether or not they work?

 

[wedi42]

sounds like a scam
if it really worked the power company would give these things away

edit. google confirms by suspicions

 

[RU482]

unless you are running heavy inductive loads at your residence, the ROI on this is very very long

 

[tasmanian]

Sounds like its a battery. So it looks like your using less power. However im not an expert.

Looks like a scam.

 

[Eli]

It's true.

There are computer power supplies with similar technology.

How much it would save you on electricity depends on how many low PF devices you have.

As it says, most inductive loads have a low PF, while resistive loads(such as a light bulb, space heater or electric stove) have high PF(typically 1.0).

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Eli
It's true.

There are computer power supplies with similar technology.

How much it would save you on electricity depends on how many low PF devices you have.

As it says, most inductive loads have a low PF, while resistive loads(such as a light bulb, space heater or electric stove) have high PF(typically 1.0).

what's that mean in english?

 

[Howard]

You pay by kW not kVA, so you don't save any money.

 

[RU482]

Originally posted by: Howard
You pay by kW not kVA, so you don't save any money.

not 100% true. reducing kVA does influence the kWh you use.
It just isn't going to do much for a residential electric bill, unless you are running a bunch of blowers and cutting wood with a table saw 24/7

Have you ever heard of Greenplugs? They are devices you can put between an AC device and the power outlet. They were commonly used with refrigerators, compressors, ect. Essentially all they did was provide power factor correction/improvement.

At some point in the 90's, (~93, IIRC) this circuitry was adopted and integrated into most major appliances (thus why refrigerators purchased today are far more efficient that ones bought in 1990)

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: Howard
You pay by kWh not kVA, so you don't save any money.

Fixed.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Bignate603

Originally posted by: Howard
You pay by kWh not kVA, so you don't save any money.

Fixed.

Sorry about that. Is it kVAh?

Originally posted by: redly1

Originally posted by: Howard
You pay by kW not kVA, so you don't save any money.

not 100% true. reducing kVA does influence the kWh you use.

Not if it's by improving power factor. kWh is kWh. My bill doesn't say anything about power factor.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Bignate603

Originally posted by: Howard
You pay by kWh not kVA, so you don't save any money.

Fixed.

Sorry about that. Is it kVAh?

Originally posted by: redly1

Originally posted by: Howard
You pay by kW not kVA, so you don't save any money.

not 100% true. reducing kVA does influence the kWh you use.

Not if it's by improving power factor. kWh is kWh. My bill doesn't say anything about power factor.

In the demonstration on the website, it lowered the Watt draw by like 21W...

But yeah, I'm trying to think this through.

The computer power supplies that have active PFC draw about 1.2A less than their non PFC counterparts...

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Bignate603

Originally posted by: Howard
You pay by kWh not kVA, so you don't save any money.

Fixed.

Sorry about that. Is it kVAh?

Originally posted by: redly1

Originally posted by: Howard
You pay by kW not kVA, so you don't save any money.

not 100% true. reducing kVA does influence the kWh you use.

Not if it's by improving power factor. kWh is kWh. My bill doesn't say anything about power factor.

In the demonstration on the website, it lowered the Watt draw by like 21W...

But yeah, I'm trying to think this through.

The computer power supplies that have active PFC draw about 1.2A less than their non PFC counterparts...

I don't really see how it reduces wattage.

Power supplies with active PFC tend to be more efficient than those without, but not because of the active PFC.

 

[jagec]

Residential customers aren't charged by power factor. Why do you care if the power company is irked by all the inductive loads you're putting on the system?

Not to mention that the vast majority of loads that residential customers use are purely resistive--lights, furnace, stove--and as such will not benefit at all from power factor correction.

 

[Fayd]

i was always under the impression that adding PFC into the line would cut efficiency by a small amount.

 

[hellokeith]

Active PFC on PSU's may end up benefiting the electric company more than you. Doubtful that PSU will be around long enough to actually see any ROI on it. But it definitely helps reduce waveform noise going back to the power lines. It's a good technology, I'd strongly recommend only buying PSU's w/ Active PFC. At the very least, you are helping the electric company waste a little less energy on wasted heat on the power lines.

 

[0roo0roo]

http://www.dansdata.com/gz028.htm