Archive for October, 2009
Energy Saving Products Help Improve Our Environment
Coal fired power plants are a major contributor to smog, acid rain, global warming and particulate air pollutants. On an average year a typical coal fired power plant generates:
- 3,700,000 tons of carbon dioxide, a primary cause of global warming.
- 10,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, a major cause of acid rain that damages forests, lakes, and buildings, and forms small airborne particules that penetrate deep into lungs.
- 500 tons of small airborne particulate matter (PM), a major cause of chronic bronchitis and asthma, and a contributing factor to heart attacks and premature deaths.
- 10,200 tons of nitrogen oxide, as much as would be emitted by halg a million cars, a primary cause of lung inflammation.
- 720 tons of carbon monoxide, which causes headache and places additional stress on people with heart disease.
- Hundreds of tons of volatile organic compounds, mercury, arsenic lead, cadmium and other toxic heavy metals.
Saving electricity through the use of energy saving devices like the power factor conditioning units that directly minimize energy loss, and solar attic fan, radiant barrier and duct sealing to minimize heat transfer from the attic, and grid-tied residential solar kits, can all help to save energy, and contribute to lowering our demand for electricity, and indirectly our demand for burning fossil fuel.
Will the Power-Save 1200 be a way to save energy in my home?
Power-Save 1200
One of the most frequently asked questions is how do I know if the power factor conditioning unit Power-save 1200 will work in my home, save electricity, and lower energy cost? Yes, it will work as long as you have an empty slot in your circuit breaker panel that has breaker switches and not the old screw in type fuses. The unit will work on any single-phase electric application for homes. And if your answer is “yes” to only two of the following questions then you could be saving a significant amount of money on your electric bills!
Is your home over 2500 Square feet?
Is your central air conditioner / heat pump unit 3 years or older?
Is your forced air furnace 3 years or older?
Do you have a pool?
Do you have a well?
Do you use an air conditioner?
Is your refrigerator / freezer not EnergyStar rated?
Do you have more than one refrigerator / freezer?
Is your washer / dryer not EnergyStar rated?
Do you have a hot tub or a jacuzzi?
Is your dishwasher not EnergyStar rated?
Do you have a number of appliances in your home?
Is your home over 2500 Square feet?
Is your central air conditioner / heat pump unit 3 years or older?
Is your forced air furnace 3 years or older?
Do you have a pool?
Do you have a well?
Do you use an air conditioner?
Is your refrigerator / freezer not EnergyStar rated?
Do you have more than one refrigerator / freezer?
Is your washer / dryer not EnergyStar rated?
Do you have a hot tub or a jacuzzi?
Is your dishwasher not EnergyStar rated?
Do you have a number of appliances in your home?
Three Phase Power Factor Conditioning
Single phase power supply is used in most U.S. residential service. The split phase is used to power larger loads that are too large to run off 120V. Otherwise, 120V single phase is used. Most US consumer appliances are single phase, so there is rarely a need to run 3 phase power supply into homes. For most household use the Power-save 1200 single phase Power Factor Conditioning Unit will suffice.
Power-save 3200/3400
A three phase power supply is used mainly in industrial settings with heavy equipment or motorized tools. Unlike residential service which is always 120/240V, industrial 3 phase can be much higher, with 480V not uncommon. The designer of the building is expected to design the electrical system for the use of the building. It is not uncommon for these buildings to have their own step-down transformer to 120/208V for lower voltage loads. For these applications, we recommend the three phase power factor conditioning units. The Power-save 3200 is for inductive loads up to 200 amp. and motors up to 75 horsepowers (hp) and the Power-save 3400 is for inductive loads up to 400 amp. and motors from 75 hp to 300 hp.
For those who are technically inclined, a more detailed explanation of three phase electrical power can be found here :- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-phase_electric_power
Big saving after installation of Power Factor Conditioning Unit
In case you still have doubt about the effectiveness of the power factor conditioning unit as an energy saving device for lowering your electric bill, here is an actually example of the savings a customer in Texas sees a month after installation of the Power-save 1200 power factor conditioning unit.
Sample Residential Electric Bill Showing Saving Post Installation
Notice the kWh usage difference between October 2008 (the dark bar) and that of October a year earlier. This is further reflected in the average kWh per day as seen in the lower table —- a difference between 37.3 and 66.3 a year earlier. That is an amazing 47% saving. While results may vary, users of Power-save 1200 across the country have consistently been reporting significant energy savings, as well as lowering electric bills. The power factor conditioning unit is definitely an energy saving product for every household to consider. Rarely will you find an $300 investment that will provide you a return of this magnitude every month.
Federal Tax Credit for Solar Power
Electricity in the U.S. comes mostly from non-renewable sources, coal (48.5%), natural gas (21.3%), nuclear (19.6%) and Petroleum (1.1%). Renewables only make up approximately 9%. Of that 6% is hydroelectric. Solar, wind and other renewables make up only about 3% of our electric supply. To help the country transition to a less fossil fuel dependent economy, and to encourage home owners to improve fuel efficiency in their homes and to purchase renewable power-generating systems, the federal government is providing tax credit to a variety of energy saving home improvements.
The Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency Act of 2009 provides a home energy efficiency improvement tax credit of 30% up to $1500 for improvements placed into service starting Jan 1, 2009 through Dec 31, 2010. For photovoltaic solar systems, the tax credit is a straight 30% of the cost. The cost of solar systems have come down substantially over the past couple of years, and with this government tax credit of up to 30% of the installation and equipment cost, solar systems have never been a more affordable investment .
Maryland School District cuts Electric Bill instead of Education Programs
At a time of shrinking state and federal dollars for education, Frederick County Public Schools recently installed the Power-Save 1200 Power Factor Conditioning Unit in an unsolicited test of the effectiveness of the unit. Instead of cutting funds for educational programs, the school district is trying to save money by lowering their electicity bill.
“I’ll be conservative, if we can save 10%, that is $650,000 a year we could save,” says Charlie Dalphon, the energy manager. For more detail, please watch this recent NBC news broadcast.
Power Factor Conditioning Unit
For a long time, electricity in this country costs only pennies a kilowatt-hour (kWh). That is no longer the case. In recent years, communities across America have seen their electric rates rising steadily. Most households now pay anywhere from 8-20 cents a kWh. In Philadelphia, we are paying over 16 cents per kWh. In places like New York, it is over 20 cents per kWh, and in Hawaii well over 30 cents. This upward trend will likely continue in the foreseeable future.
One way to minimize the impact of rising utility cost is to install energy saving devices. One such device is the Power-save 1200. Installing a Power-save 1200 Power Factor Conditioning Unit will help you improve energy efficiency in your home, and lower your energy cost.
Inductive loads such as electric motors, pumps and compressors kick back unusable energy into the power system. This unusable energy is turned into heat build-up in appliances, noise on transistor radios and cordless phones, etc. The power factor conditioning unit has capacitors that capture unusable energy drawn from the power-line, and re-channel it back to your appliances, thus reducing waste and increasing energy efficiency of your household appliances. In actual field tests, this power factor conditioning unit has consistently shown power savings of as much as 25%. The unit also provides 2000 joules of whole house surge protection, thus further protecting your expensive home appliances and equipments from damage due to electrical surges. Among energy saving products, the power factor conditioning units are definitely a cost effective investment.