Can Correcting the Power Factor in My House Save Me Money?
With energy costs rising, many homeowners are looking for a way to reduce their energy consumption, lower their carbon footprint and save money. Power factor correction kits are sold as an easy way for homeowners to save money, but these devices don’t live up to their promises and won’t save as much as they say they will. Does this Spark an idea?
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Identification
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The power factor indicates a ratio of real power going to an outlet, versus the apparent power. The power factor is written as a percentage. The real power indicates how much actual work a circuit is currently doing as opposed how much it could be doing, which is its apparent power. So, real power could be 80 percent of actual power, or any other percentage. Correcting the power factor refers to an effort to make real power and apparent power match each other closely.
Measuring
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Power factor is measured with a wattmeter-ammeter-voltmeter method. In industrial situations, these meters can be large, but for home environments, they’re usually smaller and attach directly to the home’s fuse box. Companies that make these power boxes say they can save as much as 15 percent on the home’s electricity bill and will improve power quality.
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Results
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Energy Star doesn’t qualify any power factor readers. This is because they say there is no proof they actually reduce energy costs. Power factor correctors measure KVA-hour usage, but utility companies charge by how many kilowatts per hour you use. While the reduction of KVA-hour usage could save the utility company money, the homeowner doesn’t benefit from this small reduction. Also, to work effectively, the power factor corrector has to be attached to the motor that is running, whether that’s the refrigerator, the air conditioner or a hair dryer. Because several motors run in a home at once and the power corrector is meant to stay in the same place next to the breaker, this is impractical. Energy Star and the National Institute for Science and Technology do say that adding power correctors to large commercial buildings could reduce costs a little, though the savings won’t be significant.
Considerations
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Even though power factor correctors do little to reduce a residence’s energy costs, some people purchase them solely to reduce their carbon footprint. While good in theory, this practice could increase their carbon footprint. These machines take energy to manufacture, move and run, and the perceived benefit might not outweigh the work it takes to have the power corrector installed.
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References
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