REACTIVE POWER

In school it was taught that reactive power and is useless and to compensate this power there are lot of methods. We need reactive power in system. Is it true ? When we talk about var compensator what are they doing ? When the var compensator is not connected to system, why the line voltage drops? What is the acceptable range of voltage drop in primary of the transformer when the load on the secondary side changes from no load to full load? If it's "useless" power, why does it have to be compensated for, or for that matter, why does it even have to be monitored? The effect of reactive current is to shift the voltage! and current sine waves out of phase with each other, which can have very serious conse"uences for #$ systems if left unchecked. %o, induction motors and flourescent lighting &the two biggest causes for reactive current flow and its effects' must be "countered", as it were, to keep the voltage! and current sine waves closer to being in phase with each other, which is the ideal way for an #$ system to be operated &most efficient'. That's why there are various methods for compensating for reactive current. It's also generally not good mechanically for generators to have high reactive currents &we have to watch how we describe this phenomenon lest we encurwrath( "reactive power" is a no!no around here'.

Reactive Power
%ome )istribution *etwork +perators &who own and manage the electricity distribution cables' have introduced charges for ,eactive -ower consumption. These ,eactive -ower charges can be reduced or eliminated by installing -ower .actor $orrection e"uipment at your site. If you/d like an advisor to arrange an assessment through our provider, please call 0123 040 5252 . .or more information on ,eactive -ower charges please browse the links below6 What is ,eactive -ower? Why is ,eactive -ower consumption charged? Will my ,eactive -ower charges ever be estimated? 7ow can ,eactive -ower charges be reduced?

What is ,eactive -ower?

*ot all power used by electrical e"uipment is 'useful', i.e. it is not used by the e"uipment to create outputs. ,eactive -ower is a measure of this 'unproductive power'. In most electrical circuits, ,eactive -ower comes from the creation of an electro!magnetic field necessary in motors and transformers. This impedes the electrical current, causing ,eactive -ower to be re"uired. .or a full e8planation please see our 9uide to ,eactive -ower &pdf document', or the following analogy helps e8plain reactive power in simple terms6

Imagine a horse pulling a barge along a canal. The horse is pulling the barge from the towpath, as he cannot stand directly in front of the barge. %ome of the force on the towrope is 'useful', i.e. it is pulling the barge forwards along the canal. 7owever, some of the force is pulling the barge in towards the canal bank and not in the direction the barge is travelling. This sideways force is unproductive. ,eactive -ower can also be thought of as :unproductive/ or :useless/ power. ;ack to top

Why is ,eactive -ower consumption charged?

If a site has high ,eactive -ower, more current has to flow to provide the same output. This means more capacity has to be provided, potentially increasing costs for the )istribution *etwork +perator. ;ack to top

Will my ,eactive -ower charges ever be estimated?

%ome )istribution $ompanies charge for ,eactive -ower on a estimated basis where no data is received from the customer's meter ! their calculation is based on an assumed -ower .actor taking consumption for the period into consideration. The lack of actual data could be due to the configuration of the meter, or even because the type of meter installed at your property does not register ,eactive -ower. Where npower receive an estimated invoice we will be obliged to use that information to recover the costs incurred at your site. npower are looking into ways to reduce the number of estimated ,eactive -ower charges in the future including arranging for a meter e8change or reprogramming the meter, at no cost to you. ;ack to top

7ow can these charges be reduced?

9iven ,eactive -ower arises from the electrical properties of e"uipment on site, further e"uipment can be added to amend the electrical properties and reduce or eliminate ,eactive -ower charges. This is known as -ower .actor $orrection e"uipment. The cost of the e"uipment, including installation, will typically fall within the range of <=>00 ! <=?,000 depending on specific site re"uirements plus an initial site survey, costing <200. If you feel it may be commercially viable, npower business can provide the e8pertise to assess the need for -ower .actor $orrection e"uipment and arrange the smooth installation of e"uipment. @ust call 0123 040 5252 .