Power Company Issues & Solutions

Power Company problems

• Undergrounding cables is expensive and does not protect the customer from transmission line or adjacent feeder events. Click for more information.
• Poor voltage balance due to excessive number of single phase customers causes problems for 3-phase customers. Premature motor and VFD failure are examples.
• Voltage support required as system has either lack of VARs or kW. This results in unhappy customers due to fluctuating voltage.
• Flicker is the customers’ problem but you can help by offering a lower cost solution in certain circumstances.
• Addition of excessive capacitors or a change in the dynamic of the system results in instability. This results in poor power for your customers and might cause damage to utility owned equipment.

Power Company Solutions

Active Voltage Conditioner (AVC) will correct voltage variations; voltage sags, voltage phase unbalance, 3 phase harmonics, flicker and voltage swells (option). Addition of excessive capacitors or a change in the dynamic of the system results in instability. This results in poor power for your customers and might cause damage to utility-owned equipment.

• AVC can be applied at service entrance to protect the complete facility or working with the customer can be applied to critical equipment internally. Click for more information.
• AVC corrects poor voltage balance continuously. A small amount of correction is usually required for this application and therefore it is very cost effective.
• AVC can be used to correct flicker. In the event the flicker is causing problems for only one or two small communities, the AVC can be applied to the sub station feeding that particular town (load). This is usually significantly less expensive than correcting the flicker at the bus.  See paper on Flicker.

Power Flow Controller (PFC) is a capacitor free P&Q controller. It actively corrects for VARs and kW (with storage system option), without introducing capacitors to the system. Any load profile change will be managed by the PFC automatically. It can be programmed to focus on a specific frequency or to ignore a range of frequencies.

PFC with storage can provide you with distribution system ride through in the event of a fault.

Benefits

• AVC allows process to continue
• Costly unplanned production stoppages are avoided
• Scrap material and emergency maintenance are reduced
• Profits are retained
• Payback period for AVC investment typically less than 12 months
• PFC helps reduce high demand charges
• Stabilizes the electric system
• Improves operation of equipment
• Lower cost of operation.

Do you know what unplanned stoppages cost you?
Click here to find out.