Reactive Energy

Reactive Energy is produced by inductive motors that produce an electromagnetic field. This includes but is not restricted to air conditioning, refrigerators, compact fluorescent light bulbs, and electric dryers. Reactive energy is largely considered unusable and not capable of doing work. Signified by the acronym KVAR reactive energy is a calculable part of any electrical load and is usually returned to the utility pole where it is dissipated as heat.

Reactive Energy is Part of a consumers "power factor" which is a ratio of the real power to apparent power. Real power is the capacity of the circuit for performing work in a particular time. Apparent power is the product of the current and voltage of the circuit. Due to energy stored in the load and returned to the source, or due to a non-linear load that distorts the wave shape of the current drawn from the source, the apparent power can be greater than the real power. Low-power-factor loads increase losses in a power distribution system and result in increased energy costs. So even though you are not using your reactive power, you may be paying for it.

Circuits containing purely resistive heating elements (filament lamps, strip heaters, cooking stoves, etc.) have a power factor of 1.0. Circuits containing inductive or capacitive elements (lamp ballasts, motors, etc.) often have a power factor below 1.0. For example, in electric lighting circuits, normal power factor ballasts (NPF) typically have a value of (0.4) - (0.6). Ballasts with a power factor greater than (0.9) are considered high power factor ballasts (HPF).

Ortronic technology allows your inductive load to have a power factor of 1.0.

For more information on reactive power visit http://www.pserc.wisc.edu/Sauer_Reactive%20Power_Sep%202003.pdf

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