Why Power Factor Correction and TVSS Do Not Save Energy

By Robert Holdsworth

In today's energy climate more and more people have become motivated to accomplish what they can to become more energy efficient to conserve energy and money. Regrettably this same climate has encouraged some to take advantage of innocent consumers' desires to save energy and reduce operating expenses.

Vendors that advertise power factor improvement (kVAR correction) and transient voltage suppression to save energy are a good case in point of this bad trend. Recently we are seeing more and more of these businesses cropping up and we believe it is time to set the record straight.

First off, transient voltage surge suppression (TVSS) plays an important part in improving power quality to guard sensitive equipment inside a facility. However, TVSS does not save energy. TVSS's are barely active an infinitesimal portion of a second to defend against voltage surges which only last for less than a millisecond. To actually decrease energy use the TVSS would need to essentially cut power consumption for an extended amount of time which is not what they are designed to do. Again, TVSS is essential to protect susceptible electrical equipment but consumers should steer clear of vendors promising, or even guaranteeing, a reduction in energy consumption.

And what about salespeople who maintain that increasing power factor will save 15% or 20% or 30% of energy consumption and resultant costs? This is false but also a bit trickier.

For homes, power factor correction does zero to save energy because the average home already has an average power factor of approximately 0.97 which is nearly the perfect power factor of 1 or unity. Additionally, the unit (called a capacitor) is installed at the homes main circuit breaker. According to IEEE 5.5.3.3 capacitors must be located at or near the individual inductive motor loads to decrease power system losses by reducing heat and distribution losses known as I2R losses.

So what about commercial and industrial facilities looking to use power factor correction to shrink energy expenditures? It is completely appropriate for a business that is incurring penalties or a kVA billing structure from the utility company to improve the facility's overall power factor by installing a capacitor bank at the main electrical service entrance or individual capacitors at or near the particular motor loads. Doing so will do away with the power factor penalties and/or reduce the kVA demand charges on the electric bill which can save considerable money and provide a significant ROI on the investment.

But what about power factor correction reducing kWh consumption? IEEE also tells us that at most I2R losses only account for 2 to 5% of the total load in a facility. Simple arithmetic tells us that it would be in opposition to the laws of physics to obtain the 15% to 30% energy reduction claimed by some vendors. Consider it. Even if your facility had 5% distribution losses and you could correct 100% of the predicament via power factor correction at every load (which can't be done) you would still save no more than 5% at most. No where close to the claims of some capacitor reps and manufacturers.

All that said, power factor correction when done appropriately will eliminate utility penalties and kVA demand charges, improve facility power quality, increase electrical system capacity, and save a modicum of energy when applied at the proper motor loads in an industrial facility.

So make an investment in transient voltage surge suppression and power factor correction when appropriate and necessary. But caveat emptor!

About the Author:

Save Money On Your Company's Energy Bill, visit Energy Edge Technologies site for strategies on saving a tremendous amount of capital on your Corporate Energy Bill or call 888-729-5722 Ext. 100.

How To Promote A Business At A Trade Show

By Alex Hochman

One thing is for sure is that if you own a business you need to promote it. In the absence of a good marketing campaign, surely, nothing happens. Well it is getting harder and harder to get the attention of consumers especially in this tough economy. Well, in this article, there are a couple of proven tools that you can use to do just that.

First and foremost, we are going to consider some of these proven tools and techniques that work so well in trade shows. Namely we are going to look at a couple of them including a portable trade show display.

This works well in a trade show but it can also work well in your store. If you have a big sale activity going on and you badly need to capture people's attention to it, then setting one up in your store works great. From what your customers are really used to, it will definitely stand out. It will draw people to your sale. It will definitely help generate more and more sales for you if it is actually a good product.

Now you can go a little above and beyond that with not just having a display booth but having pop up trade show displays. Since with all these, you can actually add a perfect looking and attractive graphic, so this goes beyond that. Because now you are really getting more attention to your site, this basically works wonders. Nothing works better than a killer and eye catching graphic. to draw the eyes of your customers.

The next thing you might want to use that is used heavily in trade shows are trade show banner stands. These stands can be set up on the outside of your store. To capture the attention of the people coming into your store, this works perfectly. But it can definitely draw also the attention of more people who might just be passing by. To get them to come into our store is sometimes enough for us already.

There are so many different ways to promote your business as you can see. Using these techniques will help you have success as well since these have been successful in other venues.

About the Author:

At your next trade show if you want more people at your both use this portable trade show display. You will also find these great pop up trade show displays.

Investor Finder Services: Don't Even Think Of Trying To Rase Capital Without Them

By James Scott

If you own or run a company that is trying to raise capital in the current economic conditions you've undoubtedly been challenged by the limited funds available. Investors are more difficult to find and the individuals that are actually willing to part with their cash are even tougher to find. You've talked to friends, family members, your cpa and your attorney but trying to get them to invest is like drawing blood from a stone, it's just not happening.

There is an easier way. Most broker dealers and market makers have an emergency number in their Rolodex that reads "Investor Finder", these specialist consultants are brought in when there is nowhere else to turn for cash. A true Investor Finder has 1,000's of investor contacts that they can call on to get funding for their clients and are constantly using online viral strategies to attract more investors to their database.

An investor finder usually is not a licensed securities broker/agent or attorney; instead they are traditionally consultants that are active in the investment banking facilitation aspect of the industry. Being that they are not licensed they do not accept equity payments or percentages; instead they work on a flat fee basis.

A good consultant in this genre can bring in 30 to 70 real investors per day and it's up to the client to sell the opportunity from there. A typical lead from an investor finder will be an investor or investment firm that is responding to the consultant's opportunity introduction email or snail mail mailing, they have read about the opportunity and they respond one of two ways, either they are calling into a phone room to be screened and qualified or they are contacting the client directly.

Many times the investor doesn't know that they are part of the "finder's" database but do recall signing up to receive investment opportunity updates, so either way the investor is solid and active. If you are trying to raise capital and need real results quickly and can't afford to waste time begging for cash, you need to seek out a qualified Investor Finder consultant and make your fundraising efforts fast and easy.

About the Author:

Investor Finder Services, call Princeton Corporate Solutions at 267-233-0183Take Your Company Public the easy way!

With Outdoor Heating You Can Use Your Patio All Year Long

By Joseph Williams

Since modern outdoor heating systems came on the market, they have been selling like hot cakes. An outdoor heater will enable you to spend more time outdoors. Instead of you all sitting around your indoor fire place, you can relax on your patio, even on very chilly days and evenings.

Outdoor heaters can be obtained in three types: table-top, permanent, or free standing. There is a huge range of patio heaters that can be purchased in all three of these categories. Chimineas and backyard pit fires can be used as heaters as well as grillers, so you can still enjoy a barbecue at any time of the year.

The free standing type and the table-top type are portable. This makes them easy to move to different places outdoors. As its name suggests, the permanent heater becomes a fixture on your patio. Permanent heaters are the most effective because they are able to produce more warmth.

Another benefit of a heater that is permanently installed is you don't have to keep filling the gas tank. With its fixed gas line, your permanent heater will carry on functioning as long as you want. You won't be able to move the heater around, and the installation will cost you some money, but these are minor drawbacks.

Gas charcoal fireplaces look just like a fire that's burning with glowing coals. These can add a lovely atmosphere to your patio when entertaining. Most gas charcoal fireplaces are sturdy and safe, so you won't have to keep an eye on the children all the time.

Table-top heaters are especially popular. They are simple to operate and are easily moved from place to place. This type of outdoor heater features a safety device that automatically switches the heater off if it tips over or gets bumped.

An infrared patio heater will certainly add to the decor on your patio. These heaters are stylish and mounted on tall graceful stands. You can choose either a copper finish or a brushed steel finish. Infrared heaters run off gas which distributes infrared rays. They are really warm and will be effective during even the coldest weather. These heaters are especially suitable for hotels and restaurants.

You can also get outdoor electric heaters. The obvious advantage with these is that you won't have to pay for gas. The electric heater looks very like an air conditioning unit. They are usually mounted high up on the walls of your patio, beneath the ceiling. Electric heaters don't produce the odor or fumes associated with gas heaters so they are very user-friendly.

The really great thing about electric heaters is that they produce instant heat. The moment you turn it on, you will instantly feel heat. You certainly don't want your guests shivering and shaking on your patio while you're waiting for that old heater to get into gear.

Now you know about some of the options of outdoor heating. You don't have to feel depressed as winter approaches. The cold temperatures won't affect your outdoor fun once you've got a good outdoor heater. Your patio can be open all year round! And the neighbors will be very envious.

About the Author:

When Toasty Joe isn't filling your orders for outdoor fire pits or answering your e-mails, he enjoys the cool Carolina evenings on his deck with a quality, affordable outdoor fire pit. Check out his inventory at ToastyJoes.com

Lincoln - A Cathedral City Of England

By Frederick Hoymer

Lincoln is considered a cathedral city found in Lincolnshire. It is an old town as the first settlement has been traced to the Iron Age from the 1st century BC. This spot was desirable due to a deep pool located at the foot of a large hill.

The Romans eventually conquered this area of England and built a large fortress at the top of the hill. This fort and Lindum colonia turned this small settlement into a flourishing town.

A great example of Norman Castle that is still standing is Lincoln Castle. This castle was built at the end of the 11th century by William the Conqueror at the spot that once held a pre-existing Roman fortress.

William the Conqueror built Lincoln Castle in the second half of the 11th century. This was erected on what was once the site of a roman fortress. This spot was deemed to be strategically important to control the interior of England. Lincoln has seen plenty of battle sand there were several well known fights of which the castle was involved. You can visit the castle and it is considered to be a great example of a Norman castle.

Of the many roman gates that were built in the 3rd century as a gateway into the city only the Newport arch still remains. The road under the archway is still used making it the oldest used arch the United Kingdom. This is the original north gate and there were two other options in which you could enter the city.

Steep Hill is one of the most popular tourist streets found in the historic section of town. The name is due to the steep gradient of the hill and most people do need to use the provided handrails. There are many pubs, independent shops and tea rooms along the climb as it is considered very hard to climb both up and down Steep Hill.

If you want a bit of the tropics then you should visit the Sir Joseph Banks conservatory named after the famous explorer and naturalist.

About the Author:

For a wide selection of Lincoln hotels just click here.