Have you just heard about KVAR? Is somebody raving about its benefits at the office and he got your attention? Well, the truth is, KVAR is not a new, untested product or fad that’s only going to fade soon. In fact, KVAR has been in the market since the early ‘90s but it’s only beginning to explode in popularity because of the unstoppable surge in energy prices.

The KVAR Energy Savings Corporation

The KVAR Energy Savings Corporation is the company that manufactures the KVAR Energy Controller. Operations started way back in Port Orange, Florida in 1992 when they developed a patent for Kilovolt Ampere Reactive (KVAR) sizing equipment. The patent allows the KVAR Corp. to accurately determine the reactive power in motors, which left uncontrolled, could lead to massive power consumption and wasted money.

Today, the KVAR Corp. manufactures its world-renowned KVAR Energy Controllers in a 26,000 square foot facility in Daytona Beach, Florida, in its very economic center. Training for official KVAR distributors is also held at the facility where thousands of KVAR units are shipped to various parts of the United States and other countries around the world every day.

The KVAR Energy Controller

In the center of KVAR Corp.’s success is the KVAR Energy Controller, a revolutionary product that allows consumers to reap savings between 6% and 25% off their electricity bills every month. The product comes in the form of a small, gray box that can be easily installed on any residential, commercial or industrial site. Savings are immediately created as the device supplies the reactive, nonproductive power that motors need in order to run. Actual savings vary depending on factors such as the size of the site and the types of motors in the electrical system.

Investing in the KVAR Energy Controller is totally safe because it has been certified by numerous third parties including NASA and Honeywell. The device costs around $500 to install but the consumer doesn’t have to pay anything else after that and the unit comes with a solid warranty. Savings for residential settings are typically between 6% and 10%, 6% and 17% for commercial settings, and 6% and 25% or even beyond for industrial sites. Savings start trickling in the moment the device is switched on.

If you’re interested in the KVAR Energy Controller and you want to know how much you can save from using this device, you can avail of a FREE ENERGY AUDIT today. All you need to do is log on to www.KVARExpress.com right now and request for the audit. KVAR Express will send a licensed technician to your home or business to assess your current Power Factor using KVAR’s patented sizing equipment.

Cutting back on your electric consumption doesn’t have to be a pain. Try the KVAR Energy Controller and maximize your monthly power savings.

As you probably know, Energy Star is currently the international standard for efficient consumer products. The standard started here in the United States in 1992 as a project of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Energy Star has spread to various other countries since its introduction and it’s now used in countries like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Japan and also in the European Union. You’ve probably seen the Energy Star mark on some appliances in the mall and have asked yourself if replacing your old appliances with these new ones is worth it. We’ll answer that question and more in this article, so read on.

Evaluating Energy Star

It is widely accepted today that appliances and gadgets bearing the Energy Star seal use 20%-30% less energy than what’s currently required by federal benchmarks in the United States. That alone seems like a great reason to invest in these products, which include computer parts and peripherals, heating and cooling systems, kitchen equipment—even entire buildings.

The truth is that old appliances are generally more inefficient than newer ones mainly because of the differences in the level of technology and the quality of materials between the two. For instance, if you have massive, old motors running in your home, they’re probably wasting large amounts of energy and you can definitely save a lot if you replace them with smaller, more efficient ones. But do you need to exclusively invest in Energy Star appliances?

The answer is simply “No” because there is currently evidence that the Energy Star certification process has loopholes. In 2008, the EPA Office of the Inspector General itself reported that Energy Star’s claimed energy savings and benefits were unreliable and unverifiable. Among the many flaws of Energy Star’s certification process is that it allows manufacturers to test their own products. Amazingly, Energy Star would only spot-check a selection of the results the manufacturers submit, making the certification process ultimately unreliable—if not pointless.

More alarmingly, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found in 2010 that the Energy Star program certified fifteen out of twenty fake products the GAO filed for approval as a test of the program’s effectiveness. Energy Star even approved four bogus businesses as partners even when the info on these “businesses’” websites was fictitious. How easy was it to be certified by Energy Star? Consider that two of the fake products that were approved were a feather-duster fly-strip air freshener and a gasoline-powered alarm clock!

Bottom line: To Invest or Not to Invest?

Criticisms are still being hurled at Energy Star up to this day. While it can’t be denied that Energy Star appliances are more energy-efficient than older gadgets and pieces of electric equipment, a consumer seriously looking to cut back on their energy consumption doesn’t have to limit his options to Energy Star products. Perhaps a surer way to determine the efficiency of consumer products is to hear actual testimonials from people who have already used such products.

For instance, the KVAR Energy Controller may not have the Energy Star seal but it has thousands of satisfied customers willing to give testimonials any time. You can even log on now to www.KVARExpress.com and request a list of references for your home or specific business sector. The KVAR Energy Controller has also been certified by numerous third parties including NASA.

The bottom line? Be smarter with your choices regarding energy efficiency. Look for actual, verifiable results instead of following widely held assumptions.

This year’s Earth Day saw the market release of one of the most exciting innovations in lighting technology—the L Prize Bulb made by electronics giant Philips. The problem is, while the super bulb is supposed to last 20 years, it will set you back a whopping $60.

So is buying an L Prize Bulb a wise decision?

Savings from Lighting: Doing the Math

One interesting thing about the L Prize Bulb is that it was the sole entrant and, therefore, the winner of the Department of Energy’s Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize contest, which cost $10 million. Some industry experts have already expressed disapproval of such a setup where Philips, a Dutch company, has used government money (which is to say public money) to develop an expensive bulb.

But how expensive really is the L Prize Bulb compared to your regular CFLs and incandescent? First, consider that the bulb’s tag price of $60 has already been discounted by Philips to $50. The company is also working with some 300 utility companies to provide rebates to bulb buyers from $15 to $25. It’s certainly good news that an additional 230 utility companies are expected to provide rebates after the L Prize Bulb gets its Energy Star certification this June.

So when you do the math, the L Prize Bulb could actually cost as low as $25, which of course is still expensive considering CFLs go for less than $10 these days and they offer some degree of efficiency, too, compared to incandescents. Also, the 20-year lifespan is more marketing than fact—as to be expected—since this figure is calculated by assuming the bulb will only be used 4 hours each day. Still, according to Philips, if Americans replace all their 60-watt incandescents with their super bulbs, the country could save up to $3.9 billion every year. We will also collectively get rid of 20 million metric tons of carbon dioxide—the equivalent of removing four million cars from our roads.

To Buy or Not to Buy?

The best selling point of the L Prize Bulb is its 20-year lifespan but unfortunately, a lot of Americans today use lighting for more than 4 hours every day. Electrical systems also suffer from fluctuations and power losses, which should further shorten the lifespan of the bulb. There’s also the fact that this technology, while very impressive, is still very young. Investing in multiple L Prize Bulbs will set you back a lot and you’ll definitely feel terrible when a better, cheaper efficient-lighting technology comes out in the next 2-3 years, perhaps based on this one.

The decision whether to invest or not in the L Prize Bulb is completely yours to make, of course. Just remember that there are many other things you can do to cut back on your power consumption. Turning off lights when not in use may be an easier, much more financially sound plan than buying a super bulb. And there are also other power-saving technologies out there that have been proven to result in massive savings. For instance, the KVAR Energy Controller, which corrects Power Factor and gives monthly savings between 6% and 25% off electric bills, has been certified by numerous third parties.

Weigh your options carefully, so you won’t have regrets. Go for tried and tested green technologies as much as possible to get the results you want.

Have you heard of power factor correction? The term is becoming more popular each day as electric bills across the country continue to rise. You’d be glad to know that power factor correction can help you significantly slash your electric consumption, which could result in sizeable savings every month. First, let’s discuss what Power Factor is and the benefits you can expect once it’s corrected in your home.

What is Power Factor?

Power Factor (PF) is basically the percentage of electric power transmitted to your home or business that’s used effectively as opposed to the percentage wasted. The perfect rating is 1.0, which indicates that all the electric power transmitted is used efficiently for its intended purpose.

Unfortunately, most homes in the United States these days only make do with a .77 PF or even less. The implications of this are disappointing, to say the least. The rating indicates that only 77% of electricity being read by your home or business’ meter is being efficiently and effectively used. The other 23% is simply wasted—but you’re paying for it nonetheless.

What causes poor Power Factor and what are its effects?

There are many possible reasons a home’s PF is low. One of the most common reasons is the existence of inductive loads such as high-intensity discharge lighting, electric motors and transformers, which are terrible guzzlers of electricity. Take note that inductive loads are different from resistive loads that generate heat through the consumption of kilowatts. Inductive loads need a magnetic field to accomplish their intended work.

Low PF is extremely expensive. In fact, most utility companies will charge you additional fees if your home’s PF is below 0.95. Another negative effect of poor PF is the drop in your electrical system’s distribution capacity due to the increase in current flow and the reduction in voltage.

What are the benefits of Correcting Power Factor?

The best benefit of correcting PF is the savings you’ll get with much smaller utility bills coming in every month. Just think of all the things you can buy with the money you can save from a significantly reduced PF. Aside from savings, your electrical system’s branch capacity will also increase with a corrected PF. Remember that uncorrected PF could lead to frequent power losses, which could, in turn, ruin your motors and other pieces of inductive equipment. If you don’t want to pay for damaged equipment on top of huge electric bills, correcting your home or business’ PF is a wise decision.

What are the things you can do to correct your Power Factor?

There are some things you can easily do to correct your PF. One, minimize the operation of inductive loads in your home, such as your motors. Never operate electrical equipment beyond their rated voltage as this will surely pump up your PF. You should also replace all your old motors since these are very inefficient. New motors don’t guarantee a good PF, however, because they can also be affected by load variations.

One sure way to improve your PF is to use a KVAR Energy Controller, a specially designed Power Factor correction device. This device, which comes in the form of an easy-to-install box, uses capacitors to reduce the magnitude of your system’s reactive, non-productive power. With your home’s PF corrected, you can gain savings between 6% and 25% off your monthly electric bill. The KVAR Energy Controller is installed by certified electricians and it’s been tested by numerous third parties, so it’s definitely effective and safe to use.

If you want to know more about Power Factor and the KVAR Energy Controller, log on now to www.KVARExpress.com.

Energy inefficiency is the massive, universal problem that governments, businesses and individuals around the world have yet to solve. It’s one of the primary reasons for each household and commercial establishment’s ballooning monthly utility expenses. If the equipment used in generating and distributing energy continues to have vast amounts of system losses, utility bills will continue to rise.

In the past, system losses between 2% and 3% were generally acceptable in trade. Today, however, due to the uncontrollable appreciation of energy costs, utility companies must carefully weigh these numbers against their long-term operating costs. For this reason, upgrading equipment and finding more efficient technologies to transport and use energy are more crucial than ever.

Here’s a list of current power system equipment losses at full load:

• Outdoor circuit breakers 0.002% – 0.015%
• Medium voltage switchgear 0.005% – 0.02%
• Transformers 0.4% -1.9%
• Load break switches 0.003% – 0.025%
• Bus way 0.05% – 0.50
• Low voltage switchgear 0.13% – 0.34%
• Motor control centers 0.01% – 0.40%
• Cable 1% – 4%

• Motors

1-10 HP 14% -35%

10-200 HP 6%-12%

200-1500 HP 4% – 7%

• Static variable speed drives 6%-15
• Capacitors 0.5%-2%
• Lighting 3% – 9%

These system losses result in heat energy—heat energy, which isn’t of any use to anyone. Loss of wattage in the conductor produces heat and the challenge for utility companies and experts is to find a way to conduct electricity without losing vast amounts of it through heat generation.

As a consumer, the reality is that you can’t really do much to improve electrical distribution especially since the fault lies in electrical equipment that is simply built to be inefficient in various degrees. You can, however, cut back on your losses by installing a KVAR Energy Controller, which drastically reduces demand for the utility company’s power by optimizing motors in your home and/or business.

The KVAR Energy Controller uses capacitors to produce the non-productive, reactive energy that motors need to operate. Since the KVAR unit already supplies this energy, demand for the utility company is slashed resulting in savings between 6% and 25% depending on the site’s size and the type of electrical equipment it uses. This way, it is able to reduce system losses at your end, which means you get to save plenty of money on utility bills.

To know more about the KVAR Energy Controller, visit www.KVARExpress.com today.