RE: Re: Energy saving device - fact or fiction?

["Bricknell, Tony" <tony.bricknell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Simple answer - yes.  Hence the old trick of putting a very big
inductor
across the mains - it makes the electric meter go slower as it totally
b*ggers up the power factor.  Of course, it also "wastes" a lot
of
energy doing so.  But it's energy a domestic meter can't measure!

If enough domestic customers have bad power factors, then the
distribution losses become so significant that the utility companies
have to up-rate the supply network (for a load they cannot see nor
charge for).  Practically, it is also difficult to get a generator to
supply a non-unity power factor load - all to do with the generator not
being able to see the load correctly and so not being able to maintain
good regulation...

-----Original Message-----
From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Mal Lansell
Sent: 23 July 2008 15:16
To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subject: [ukha_d] Re: Energy saving device - fact or fiction?

--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "Iain Goodhew" <iain@...> wrote:
>
> In large commercial installation, they tend to have 2 electricity
meters. One measuring real power, and one measuring reactive power.
The Electricity company want businesses to have as near an ideal 'unity'
powerfactor , as it reduces losses in their distibution, and generally
make their life easier and the point on generation. Hence they bill
larger users for having a poor powerfactor and using large amounts of
reactive power.
>
> Iain
>
>

Does that mean that from a domestic consumer's point of view, devices
with worse power factors are to be preferred (i.e you're getting more
energy than you're paying for)?

Mal

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