Peak Energy Saver

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Permalink Reply by Classic Residential, Inc. on December 5, 2011 at 1:04pm

Power Factor devices do not work from an ROI perspective in homes because of the billing structure of many utility companies for residential dwellings.  These devices are better suited for commercial applications.

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Permalink Reply by Eugene Swier on December 8, 2011 at 2:47pm

It should be said that most homes wouldn't benefit.  The home at the end of a rural system where losses become a real factor may benefit.  The device does work though.

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Permalink Reply by Bob Blanchette on January 14, 2012 at 8:48am

If these devices were actually cost effective don't you think appliance manufacturers would use them OEM? HVAC manufacturers could use them on compressor motors. I would think it would be an easy way to get an extra 10% -25% efficiency IF they worked, problem is they don't.

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Permalink Reply by Bob Bruns on April 22, 2013 at 11:04am

Fiction. These guys appear every year with a different story. Once they get sued they change the name. You can get one of these on E-bay for under $200 if you want to prove it doesn't work.

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Permalink Reply by Bob Bruns on April 27, 2013 at 9:29am

I did see a demo of this system recently. Classic KVAR scam. They claim now that reducing current on the neutral conductor is proof of "recycling" energy. Its a new pitch and they had a few people at their booth. It is only a new variation of a classic scam.

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Permalink Reply by Danny S. Parker on April 23, 2013 at 9:22am

Paul,

Fiction. Fraudulent is another good word.

This is another in a long-line of power factor "black box" scams.  Another manufacturer, KVAR, is particularly egregious, preying on gullible homeowners.

Note that there are always testimonials and never third party testing. That's because third party testing (pre/post) would expose that these don't save anything appreciable, particularly in homes.

Previous post here:

http://homeenergypros.lbl.gov/profiles/blogs/beware-of-power-factor

Some additional background here: http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/powerfactor.html

Danny Parker

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Permalink Reply by Curt Kinder on April 25, 2013 at 7:03pm

Likely snake oil

Sounds like yet another variation on notorious power factor correction devices

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Permalink Reply by Joe Romero on April 28, 2013 at 12:29am

It is looking like a good deal, but I am sorry to say that I do not know about this and I am curious to find more about this. Thank you for taking our attention to this. I am going to find out more and will be back here with detail information, but I think this is not fake and looks quite possible.

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Permalink Reply by Curt Kinder on April 28, 2013 at 6:07am

Joe,

You are kidding, right?

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Permalink Reply by Bob Blanchette on April 28, 2013 at 6:15am

Unless your utility bills you for low power factor (I've not seen one that does for residential) this device will save no money. On commercial applications a simple capacitor wired across the motor leads or power line is what is used to correct power factor.

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Permalink Reply by Fred Stratton on May 2, 2013 at 7:40am

I sure as heck agree with all the statements about the deceptive 'pitch' on this kind of device.  Do they have any application in residential solar applications?  Just wondering.

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Permalink Reply by Bob Bruns on May 2, 2013 at 8:27am

By residential solar, you mean Photo Voltaic I will assume, where the energy from the sun is converted to electric power. The conversion is to DC, direct current, for which power factor is not applicable. There is a second device, called an inverter, which converts the DC to Alternating Current (AC) usually with a power factor of 1.0 so the power can be "net metered" back to the utility at the highest possible tariff. There is one company here in California, named Altira or XET which claims a benefit from power factor correction on solar panels. You can read more in the fraud case filed by Googling "XET lawsuit." The assertion is that XET used this scheme to defraud investors of over four million dollars. BTW this issue of Power Factor Correction is not new. It was seen as a huge problem by Thomas Edison, and billing by kWh was solved when Elihu Thomson invented his meter around 1857. Here is a link with a lot more information: http://www.peakdemandautomation.com/power-factor-correction.html

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