Reasons for Low Power Factor and How It Can Be Corrected

What Is Power Factor?

Power factor is the ratio of the real power that’s used to do work and the apparent power that’s supplied to the circuit. In simple words, it is a way of measuring efficient power usage, or how effectively the equipment at your site utilizes electricity. It is expressed as a numerical value between 0 & 1. The closer the power factor is to 1, the more efficiently your business is consuming electricity.

Some Common Reasons for Low Power Factor  

• Inductive loading – Almost 90% of industrial load consists of single and three phase induction machines, which draw magnetizing current for producing the magnetic field and therefore work at low power factor.

• Harmonic currents – Harmonics increase the amount of power required by the system due to a reduction in electric power quality, and therefore contributes to a lower power factor.

• Variations in power loading – When the system is loaded lightly, the voltage increases and the current drawn by the machines also increases. This results in a low power factor.

• Improper wiring or electrical accidents – A condition called ‘3 phase power imbalance’ occurs as a result of improper wiring or electrical accidents that further causes low power factor.

When you have a low power factor, you aren’t able to fully utilize the electrical power you’re paying for. Utility companies often penalize the customers for low power factor to compensate for this inefficiency and that’s one of the reasons it is important to invest in power factor correction.

Icopower ESCO is one of the companies known for providing the best power quality solutions to businesses across Kenya and Seychelles. The company designs and installs capacitor banks tailored to a site’s specific requirements, and also troubleshoots and fine tunes existing power factor banks for maximum functionality. To know more, please visit https://icopower-esco.com/ or email @ fm@icopower-esco.com 

Understanding The Cost Benefits Associated With Voltage Power Optimization

Voltage Power Optimization is the process of systematic reduction in the voltage to a level that is optimal for your particular electrical equipment. Adjusting the voltage levels results in a reduction in electricity consumption as well as associated costs. Some of the other key benefits of voltage optimization include:

·  A reduction in energy consumption and therefore a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions

·  An overall increase in the lifetime of your electrical equipment.

·  Potential decrease in maintenance frequency, effort & costs

·  Improvement in the overall power quality (depending on the voltage optimization technology implemented).

Additionally, voltage power optimization provides various other benefits, including protection against voltage spikes and surges, no maintenance, significant reduction of harmonics, independent 3-phase control for providing voltage phase balancing, & an intelligent interface for real time tracking of product and site performance. 

Virtually all sites can benefit from controlling the voltage; however as conditions as well as loads differ from site to site, how much you’ll benefit will also vary. Typically, the savings are determined by the type of voltage optimization system used, your site’s specifications, etc. To ensure maximum savings and performance, it is best to go for a comprehensive analysis of your site’s power conditions. As every site is different due to its unique infrastructure & specific requirements in terms of load, a customized voltage optimization strategy helps maximize the savings. Besides that, it is also important to always keep in mind the current as well as future needs of your company.

If you want to invest in an efficient voltage optimization solution, get in touch with Icopower ESCO today. Built around a proprietary and patented design, our voltage optimizers deliver consistent savings. Power factor correction is another very important technology solution that we provide to help reduce the overall power demand and lower your electricity bills. And, if you do not want to bear the consequences of frequent power fluctuations or let poor power quality increase your business downtime, go for power quality monitoring. To learn more about these services, please visit http://icopower-esco.com/ 

The Impact Of Power Factor Correction On Your Utility Bill

Some of the top benefits of power factor correction are increased load carrying capabilities in existing circuits and reduction in demand charges on the power systems. The best part is that these benefits aren't just limited to the balance sheet. Rather, there are numerous environmental benefits too associated with it, which involves reducing the carbon footprint and serving the environment. Apart from that, it also impacts your utility bill the following ways:

· Reduces Demand Charges:

The electric utility companies charge based on maximum metered demand which is based on the greater of two - either the percentage of the highest registered demand in KVA meter or the highest registered demand which is measured in kilowatts. Nevertheless, you can reduce the electricity bill by lowering the demand charge and improving the power factor. Quite easy, isn't it?

· Decreases the Carbon Footprint:

When the demand charge of the power system reduces, less strain is imposed on the electricity grid, which in turn reduces the carbon footprint - all thanks to power factor correction. Nevertheless, when the demand for the electricity grid lowers, the carbon production is reduced drastically and this, in turn, helps in the improvement of the electrical efficiency of the power system.

· Avoids Power Factor Penalties:

Massive quantities of induction motors are being used by nearly all the industrial processing facilities for driving their conveyors, pumps, and other plant machinery. This causes the power factor to reduce drastically. Businesses can eliminate their bill's power factor penalty by making use of power factor correction.  

· Reduces Power System Loss:

The loss reduction from the conductor isn't sufficient to justify the capacitors' installation. However, this comes with an attractive additional benefit especially with plants that have long feeders or in times of field pumping operations.

To make the most of power factor correction, reach out to Icopower ESCO, a company known for providing the best power quality solutions in Kenya and Seychelles. They also provide services like power quality monitoring to help businesses cut down their energy costs and consumption.

Visit https://icopower-esco.com/ to know more!

What Makes LED Lighting An Energy Saving Technology

LED lighting retrofits have proven to be one of the best energy-saving solutions for a home, office, or commercial building. With the latest advancements in energy saving technology, you can now have both your interior and exterior lights retrofitted to LEDs. Some significant advantages of an LED lighting retrofit include:

• Reduced energy consumption
  With this type of lighting, you can cut down energy bills significantly. By converting your current incandescent lighting to LED light fixtures, you make your home and office more economical.
• Improved quality of lighting
  LED lights not only enhance lighting but are also aesthetically appealing. With these light fixtures, you can choose from a range of colors and shades,so you aren’t limited to only white light. In addition, some fixtures come with color-changing effects with increased light output as well as a reduction of flickering.
• Reduced labor costs
  LED light fixtures are estimated to last for at least eleven years. After that time, the lighting only decreases by thirty percent in efficiency. These fixtures do not require much maintenance, so there are little labor costs involved.
• Reduction in pollution
  Over the years, more and more people are going green. If you were looking for a way to reduce your carbon footprint, getting an LED retrofit would be your best bet. This type of lighting consumes less electricity, which decreases the demand for power when it comes to lighting, which in turn decreases the amount of greenhouse emissions into the atmosphere.

Icopower ESCO can help you with an LED lighting retrofit. They develop, implement, and arrange their own financing for projects that are specifically designed to improve the energy efficiency for facilities over a period of 3 to 5 years. The services provided by Icopower ESCO include solar PV, maintenance, installation, thermography, measurement and verification, energy monitoring, energy savings contracts, and energy audits. You can also get in touch with them for power quality solutions. Find out more about Icopower ESCO and the services offered, check out http://www.icopower-esco.com/.

4 Things You Can Do to Reduce Energy Consumption at Work

The major difference in trying to regulate electricity use in your office compared to your home is that you have employees who use energy. At home, it can be easier because you can easily train household members on the best ways to save energy. But however hard it can be to reduce energy use at the office, there are a few things that you can still successfully do to reduce energy consumption rates.

Have an energy audit done. It proves very helpful to let you know whether your electric power quality is efficient enough. There are energy companies that can help you with the audit to learn which areas you can work on to trim energy needs and use.

Make use of the hibernation option on your laptops and computers. This is a feature that saves energy easily, and you can put it to use when you are not actively working on your computer, but you’re still at work. Let the workstations you use hibernate to save your energy.

Keep your office equipment switched off. There isn’t a reason to leave office equipment on when you are not using them. Keep scanners, printers, air conditioners, lights, and even the microwave and coffee vending machines off after working hours to reduce energy bills. Many of these have auto-off and on cycles that you can set to an hour before the office opens to an hour after close of business so that you do not need to remember it daily.

Select office equipment with energy-saving features. You should take it upon yourself to educate employees on the office equipment that does have energy-saving features, so you are sure everybody is playing a role in cutting energy costs when you are not around.

Icopower ESCO is an independent Energy Service company that develops, implements, and in order to improve the energy efficiency for facilities over a 3- to 5-year time period, arranges its own project financing. The mission of Icopower ESCO is to analyze, design, and implement energy efficiency solutions that will create value for facility owners and operators across all sectors in East Africa and the Indian Ocean. Their vision is to contribute to prosperity throughout the region, generating benefits for the economy, the environment, and for society according to the triple bottom line of sustainable development. For more information, you can visit www.icopower-esco.com, or you can write to them at fm@icopower.com.

5 Reasons Why Solar Energy Should Be The First To Consider Of Energy Efficiency Technologies

Thousands of industrialists have turned to solar power generation in an effort to reduce energy consumption.  Let’s explore 5 reasons why solar electric power systems will be an important part of our energy future.

Solar electricity is renewable. Sunlight is converted into electricity by photovoltaic cells. Whenever the sun shines, power generation is possible. There is no need to explore for or mine the source of solar electricity.

Electricity costs will be stable and controlled. Once a solar electric power system is installed, it will continue to produce "free electricity" for the next 20 to 25 years.

Solar power will work in just about all areas of the world. Unlike wind power, which is limited to areas that have an average wind speed of greater than 10 miles per hour, the sun shines everywhere. Clouds and, to a certain degree, smog will reduce the efficiency of solar panels, but power can be generated most days.

Sun power is nonpolluting. When the photons in sunlight hit the PV cells, electrons in the PV cells are broken loose, allowing them to flow as electricity. The process is confined to the solar panel and does not produce pollution as a fossil fuel power plant does.

A solar power system can be easily built and installed by the average industrialist. Anyone can drastically reduce the cost of going solar by building their own solar panels. Panels are the major cost of a solar electric power system, and building them can save up to 80 percent.

If you do not have any plans to switch to solar power, you might want to get in touch with an energy service company. Icopower ESCO is an independent Energy Service company which develops, implements, and in order to improve the energy efficiency technologies for facilities over 3 to 5 years, arranges its own project financing.

The mission of Icopower ESCO is to analyze, design, and implement energy efficiency solutions that will create value for facility owners and operators across all sectors in East Africa and beyond.The vision is to contribute to prosperity throughout the region; generating benefits for the economy, the environment, and for society according to the triple bottom line of sustainable development. They can also help you keep an eye on your electric power quality.
For more information, visit www.icopower-esco.com or write to fm@icopower.com.

3 Reasons Why an LED Lighting Retrofit is Worth the Money

Businesses are always looking to cut costs wherever possible. One thing that presents money-saving opportunities is LED technology. Many companies that transition from old lighting technologies to LED save money and may even boost their revenue to some extent because proper lighting improves employee productivity. Let’s look at 3 main reasons why you should not delay embracing this energy saving technology:

1. Energy Savings

LED lights draw a fraction of the energy traditional light fixtures draw, resulting in up to 75% energy savings. Businesses that upgrade to LED technology can achieve a return on investment in 3-4 years; it all depends on how long the lights run each day. Plus, because LED lights last for many years, the savings can go on long after businesses have recouped their investment.

2. Long Lifespan

It is no secret that LEDs have a long lifespan. In fact, the shortest lifespan of LEDs is 50,000 hours, which is still much higher than that of traditional lighting systems. Some LEDs have a lifespan of 100,000 hours, which means they only need to be replaced once every 10 years or so.

3. Enhanced Productivity

Better lighting can improve a business' bottom line. A company's success depends on the productivity of its employees.

LED lighting retrofits produce light, which is similar to the light produced by the sun. When these lights are used in the workplace, employees feel more alert and energized.

In addition, LEDs do not irritate or cause eye strain because they don't buzz or flicker. This helps workers to stay focused and can boost their morale.

Icopower ESCO is an Energy Service Company that is experienced in offering an effective delivery mechanism to provide the maximum amount of energy efficiency resources, project financing, and technologies. It develops, implements, and arranges its own financing for projects that are specifically designed to improve the energy efficiency for facilities over a period of 3 to 5 years. The services provided by Icopower ESCO include solar PV, maintenance, installation, thermography, measurement and verification, power quality solutions, energy monitoring, energy savings contracts, and energy audits. You can learn more about our company and the services we offer at http://www.icopower-esco.com/. You can also get in touch with us by dropping us an email to fm@icopower.com!

How You Can Reduce Energy Consumption at Office

Reducing energy consumption is not only beneficial for your budget, but also for the improvement of the quality of the air we breathe. It is important to be aware of the energy saving solutions that can be adopted in order to implement energy efficiency at an individual level, regardless of if it’s at your office. Some of the most commonly used energy saving solutions are:

• Motion sensor lights and light timers

As the name itself suggests, motion sensor lights turn on by sensing the movement of individuals. The lights then turn off automatically if they fail to detect a presence after a certain amount of time.

• Energy saving surge protectors

A lot of electric devices consume energy even when they are not in use. Surge protectors can help you avoid replacing those devices as they help limit the amount of voltage able to pass through the surge protector to the item.

• Saving energy bulbs

Conventional light bulbs consume much more energy than other light sources, such as Compact Fluorescent Lights, Light Emitting Diodes, and solar lights. When you replace conventional lights with these smarter options, you can save as much as 75 percent on your energy expenses. While they can be a bit more expensive up front, they also last much longer.

• Star energy appliances

The energy star logo on an electric appliance is self-explanatory. That appliance is specially designed to reduce energy consumption.

• Programmable heating thermostats

Most office buildings are centrally heated these days. Programming a thermostat to maintain a comfortable level can help you save as much as 50 percent on your energy bills.

Once you implement these simple solutions, you can take your energy saving to the next level with the help of power quality solutions. Icopower-ESCO is an energy service company that is experienced in offering a delivery mechanism, not just providing the maximum amount of energy efficiency resources. We have extensive design and implementation experience in integrating multiple efficiency measures, mitigating technical and performance risks, and generating energy savings for our clients at almost no capital investment. Our remuneration is based on Energy Saving Performance Contracts whereby our payment is on a shared savings basis. You can learn more about Icopower-ESCO by visiting our website http://www.icopower-esco.com/.

Get Rid of Your Energy Efficiency Problems with These Effective Solutions

The consumption of energy at home is one of the major contributors to your overall household expenses. However, not many people are aware that issues related to energy efficiency can be dealt with easily by adopting a few simple solutions. Adopting these solutions helps you lower your monthly bills, helps you put up a fight against the continuation of climate change, and helps you contribute to improving the quality of air around you. Besides keeping an eye on the electric power quality, here is a list of other things you can do:

• Switch to better lighting systems

Enough statistics have revealed how LEDs are better than all other available lighting options. They are brighter, last longer and above all, are energy efficient!

• Using programmable heating thermostats

The best thing about having a programmable heating thermostat installed is that you can program it to use a minimal amount of energy when away from home. It helps you save as much as 50 percent on your usual electricity bill. Why keep your home at 21 deg C when you aren’t there?

• Make use of energy saving surge protectors and power strips

Are you aware that there are devices that consume power even when they are switched off? Surge protectors help you in getting rid of that extra load.

• Look for star-rated energy appliances

Finding an energy efficient appliance among all those on the market has never been easier. All you have to do is look for the Energy Star logo, and there you go!

• Installing motion sensor lights and light timers

As the name suggests, these lights work by turning off lights when and where it is not required.

These simple steps can save you a great deal, both in terms of energy as well as money. Icopower ESCO is an energy saving company that develops, implements, and arranges its own financing for projects using the latest energy efficiency technologies for facilities in Kenya and Seychelles. Find out more by visiting www.icopower-esco.com.

Why Power Quality Monitoring is Important for Energy Efficiency

The quality of electricity being supplied to your home is determined by characteristics like frequency, waveforms, magnitude, and symmetry. These characteristics are subject to variation because of the load, disturbance generated by the equipment that is consuming energy, and the disturbances that come into existence because of external factors during the normal operation of a supply system. The variance of these characteristics is random, within a specific electric supply terminal, or the location of the reference sample at any given instant of time. This can happen because of natural disturbances including atmospheric phenomena and environmental conditions. In other instances, additional equipment is installed at the premises of an electricity user that can cause a disturbance in the electricity distribution network.

These issues with the power quality are very likely to have adverse effects on the end users, their equipment and system manufacturers, designers of plants and installations, electricity distributors, public authorities, and the general public. The outcomes of popular surveys have highlighted that the lack of power quality monitoring has led to significant losses for industries. The most critical issues related to power quality are the variations in voltage and frequency and also wave form distortion.

No matter how many energy efficiency technologies you are putting into use, they cannot work to the best of their abilities with fluctuating power quality. Many people are unaware that power quality is one of the most significant contributing factors to the development of any location. This cannot be achieved without continuous monitoring of the power quality as it helps in detecting, recording, and preventing problems related to power quality.

Icopower ESCO is an energy saving company in Kenya and Seychelles that is experienced in offering delivery mechanisms to provide the maximum amount of energy efficiency resources. We have extensive design and implementation experience in integrating multiple efficiency measures, mitigating technical and performance risks and generating energy savings for our clients with little capital investment.  In addition, we act as an energy efficient project developer as we integrate the project’s design, financing, installation, and operational elements. Our remuneration is based on Energy Saving Performance Contracts whereby our payment is on a shared savings basis. Find out more about us by visiting our website http://www.icopower-esco.com/ or by dropping us an email at fm@icopower.com

How Can The Latest Building Technologies Including Insulation Can Help Reduce Energy Consumption?

The involvement of technological advances in the construction industry is making energy efficiency easier and more cost effective like never before. These energy efficiency building technologies are promoting the use of environment friendly material not just in Kenya but several other locations including Seychelles. Besides having the capability to cut down the energy expenses to a minimal, these are safer as well. Since, insulation provides a proper sealing against the external moisture, noise and air, it is considered to be a key component to building a structure that can help in reducing energy consumption.

Gone are the days when constructing a green home was a tedious thing to do. With the introduction of Insulated Concrete Forms, building a structurally sound and an energy efficient home has become easier than it has ever been. It is a bit sad that not everyone considers the amount of energy that goes into the building of a new home and that is why; people need to be made aware about the new and improved energy efficiency technologies that help in minimizing the energy consumption.

When you reduce energy consumption, you automatically contribute towards reducing the following:

• Fossil fuel consumption
• Greenhouse gas emissions
• The number if power plants being brought on line
• Transmission and distribution line capacity constraints
• The amount of electricity lost and wasted along the power lines

Icopower ESCO is an energy service company that is experienced in offering delivery mechanism not just to provide the maximum amount of energy efficiency resources but also, in providing power quality solutions. We have extensive design and implementation experience in integrating multiple efficiency measures, mitigating technical and performance risks and generating energy savings for their clients at almost no capital investment.

In addition to that, we act as an energy efficient project developer as we integrate the project’s design, financing, installation and operational elements. Our remuneration is based on Energy Saving Performance Contracts whereby our payment is on a shared savings basis. You can know more about us by dropping us an email @ fm@icopower.com