Green Energy Isn't Always What It Seems

By Robert Holdsworth

Buyer Beware - Using Power Factor Correction and Transient Voltage Surge Suppression to Reduce Energy Costs.

Today's energy conscious climate has motivated many to do what they can to become more efficient and conserve energy and money. Unfortunately this same climate has prompted others to take advantage of unsuspecting consumers' wishes to save energy and reduce expenses.

Companies that tout power factor improvement (kVAR correction) and transient voltage suppression are a good example of this bad trend. Lately we are seeing more and more of these companies cropping up and feel it is time to set the record straight.

First, transient voltage surge suppression (TVSS) plays a valuable role in improving power quality to protect sensitive equipment inside a facility. However, TVSS does not save energy. TVSS's are only active a tiny fraction of a second to protect against voltage surges which only last for less than a millisecond. To actually reduce energy consumption the TVSS would need to actually cut power consumption for an extended period of time which is not what they are designed to do. Again, TVSS is important to protect sensitive electrical equipment but buyers should avoid vendors promising, or even guaranteeing, that they will reduce energy consumption.

Now what about vendors who claim that improving power factor will save 15% or 20% or 30% of energy consumption and corresponding cost? This one is a little trickier.

For residential applications, power factor does nothing to save energy because the typical home already has an average power factor of about 0.97 which is almost the perfect power factor of 1 or unity. In addition, the device (called a capacitor) is placed at the main circuit breaker. According to IEEE 5.5.3.3 capacitors must be situated at or near the respective inductive loads to reduce power system losses by reducing heat and distribution losses known as I2R losses.

So what about commercial and industrial facilities using power factor correction to reduce energy costs? It is perfectly appropriate for a company that is incurring penalties or a kVA billing structure from the utility company to improve the facility's overall power factor by employing a capacitor bank at the main service entrance or individual capacitors at or near the respective motor loads. Doing so will eliminate the power factor penalties and/or reduce the kVA demand charges on the utility bill which can save significant money and provide a significant ROI on the investment.

But what about power factor correction reducing kWh consumption? IEEE also tells us that I2R losses only account for 2 to 5% of the total load in a facility. Simple math tells us that it would be against the laws of physics to get the 15% to 30% energy reduction claimed by some vendors. Think about it. Even if your facility had 5% distribution losses and you could correct 100% of the problem via power factor correction at every load (which can't be done) you would still only save 5% at the most. No where near the claims of some capacitor vendors and manufacturers.

All that said, power factor correction when done properly will eliminate utility penalties and kVA demand charges, improve facility power quality, increase electrical system capacity, and save a little energy when applied to the appropriate motor loads.

So make an investment in transient voltage surge suppression and power factor correction when appropriate and necessary. But caveat emptor! - 23211

About the Author:

Save Money On Your Company's Energy Bill, visit Energy Edge Technologies site for strategies on saving a tremendous amount of capital on your Corporate Energy Bill or call 888-729-5722 Ext. 100.

Named Drivers On A Policy

By Graham McKenzie

Everyday people are signing on car insurance policies. There is typically a substantial amount of paperwork involved and many items to read. One of the most important aspects about an automobile policy is the named driver. Essentially, a named driver is the main driver, along with any other drivers that are specifically named on the auto insurance policy. Many people run into this situation when they have more than one person in their household that can drive.

For a larger family, a named driver is a good thing. This means that each person does not have to have their own separate policy for the same car. In larger families, not everyone typically has their own vehicle. This allows for flexibility and saved money in that case.

The major downside of named drivers on an insurance policy is the extra cost that is brought about when placing them on. The insurance company sees them as a greater liability for a few reasons. The main reason is that you have just increased your chances of an accident with multiple drivers. Also, they are not as experienced or familiar with your car usually. Other factors that might raise this amount are the age of the driver and the experience of the driver. New drivers have very high rates.

A way you might be able to skirt this cost is by finding an insurance provider that allows you to put temporary drivers on the policy for a small cost. This will let you allow other people to drive your care at certain points and still be covered. This type of situation can be for vacation road trips and the like.

Keep in mind, only named drivers on a policy will be covered under the insurance policy. If you allow someone to drive your car, for whatever reason, you are responsible for them if they were to get into an accident or harm your car in any way. In this, it is best to not allow anyone that is not on the policy drive your vehicle.

To eliminate this from happing due to the cost factor, many people decide to put their younger driver on their policy instead of getting their own. This helps eliminate cost because the main driver is the experienced parent. Insurance companies, however, are catching on quickly and banning this practice in some areas.

Another way is to have the new driver?s policy in their name but put their parents as named drivers as well. The whole point of either option is to limit risk that is associated with a new driver. As we know, risk is associated with young and new drivers.

In all, it is very important that you take the time to shop around for insurance and carefully consider who you are going to be listing as a named driver. This is one area that deserves great attention because the consequences of not insuring properly can be disastrous. - 23211

About the Author:

Graham McKenzie is the content syndication coordinator for Carinsurancesa.co.za. South Arica?s leading Car Insurance portal, which helps people save on their Car Insurance.

The Importance of Having Life Insurance

By Graham McKenzie

Any living soul would be wise to have life insurance. The price of a life insurance policy has some variables. Age being the largest variable, commonly a young person is less liable to pass away compared to an elderly person. Then, line of work, the way of life, medical history, and habits.

If a person applying for life insurance holds a non-hazardous job, maintains a healthy lifestyle according to what it statistically classified as being unhealthy, and carries on healthy habits.

If a person's application information falls under one of the categories that proves to the life insurance provider, the person is classified as a chance. Typically, the criteria explains the person asking for insurance takes more life threatening chances, and the rate ratio will be greater for the person that takes a lot of chances with their lives. There are several other ways to cover those left behind, financially. Another hurdle to think about would be if the type of life insurance that is being requested is the best well-being of the person that holds the beneficiary role.

The importance of having a life insurance policy is compromised only if the policy inquirer and the person or people excepting the benefits, are are not in need of money. Or if the deceased person had a separate account, just to cover final expenses.

When applying for life insurance, and there is no one elected to receive the policy upon maturity, there is no reason to purchase a policy.

When both parties in a relationship, or all partners within a business are needed to cover costs of survival, there should be a life insurance policy dedicated. When the relationship or business is indebted in some way, and an unexpected death occurs life insurance is needed.

When it is decided that life insurance is the route to take. Think of it as a financial shield to those loved ones that are going to be making funeral arrangements.

Life insurance amongst family, is usually used to cover funeral expenses and hospital bills in case the deceased was medically disadvantaged at the time of death. Any part of a business relationship that is has also developed into more, by having a life insurance policy, this will ease the discomfort of loosing a business partner, limiting the concern for paying bills, while mourning. - 23211

About the Author:

Graham McKenzie is the content Syndication Manager at insurance123.co.zaSouth Africa's leading Life Insurance information portal

What Is Long Term Care Insurance And How To Get It

By Joe Costalo

It's difficult to watch ourselves age. It's also difficult to watch our parents age. It's even more difficult when it comes to figuring out how to help them when the time comes. This type of help can be anything from some financial assistance, a few trips to the doctor's office, or helping them find a long term care facility they - or you - can afford. Perhaps you and your parents should have considered buying some long term care insurance years ago. But what is long term care insurance?

In short, it's probably one of the best investments you can make at any age. Of course, the younger you are when you buy it, the lower your premiums. But what 30 year old seriously considers his old age and associated health problems while he's young and healthy? Not many!

As we put off buying the insurance, the premiums increase and finally, for too many of us, we learn the hard way that we will be needing some type of long term care and we either find that we have huge deductibles because we'll need to use our regular health insurance, or worse, we find out we have to pay for everything out of pocket.

Long term care is probably one of the most affordable types of insurance when you think about what you pay vs. What you get. Policies range from basic care for less a year, to a permanent facility.

The policies can be customized to your needs, or at least, what you think these needs might be. Even though it's impossible to tell the future, you can always get a good idea of what you should add to these policies simply by understanding your family's medical history. If your family has a history of coronary heart disease in their 50s, you should seriously consider the best possible coverage if at all possible. In reality, you can't afford not to.

Deciding on the type of coverage you want might take into consideration your family history. Someone whose family suffers from heart attacks and strokes might select a more in depth type of coverage than someone whose family members tend to live well into their 90s without major health issues.

In the end, you'll be glad to have this type of coverage whether it's for your parents, or for yourself. - 23211

About the Author:

Before you go out and buy a policy go to Long Term Care Insurance, ask questions and request a long term care insurance quote. We represent 20 of the top LTCi providers. This gives you tremendous options.

Long Term Care Insurance May Protect Your Financial Future

By Ross Lewis

It's difficult to watch ourselves age. It's also difficult to watch our parents age. It's even more difficult when it comes to figuring out how to help them when the time comes. This type of help can be anything from some financial assistance, a few trips to the doctor's office, or helping them find a long term care facility they - or you - can afford. Perhaps you and your parents should have considered buying some long term care insurance years ago. But what is long term care insurance?

In short, it's probably one of the best investments you can make at any age. Of course, the younger you are when you buy it, the lower your premiums. But what 30 year old seriously considers his old age and associated health problems while he's young and healthy? Not many!

The longer we wait, however, the more expensive it gets, and the fewer options we can have on the policy itself. Finally, when the need arises, we can't do much about it. Most insurance carriers have policies that get pretty prohibitive when it comes to buying coverage after a certain age.

This type of insurance, in actuality, is one of the most reasonably priced types of coverage when it comes to costs vs. Benefits. A policy purchased in your forties, for example, with standard coverage such as nursing homes and rehab (or hospice), will probably be less expensive than your car insurance!

These policies can be virtually custom designed. There are so many options and so many riders that almost everyone can afford at least some level of coverage. It's important to note that long term care isn't always for the sick and elderly. Something as simple as a bad car accident can put that same 30 year old in a rehab facility for a year or more

Deciding on the type of coverage you want might take into consideration your family history. Someone whose family suffers from heart attacks and strokes might select a more in depth type of coverage than someone whose family members tend to live well into their 90s without major health issues.

When the instance comes, a long term coverage policy can provide a tremendous amount of financial help along with the peace of mind you and the rest of your family will need in order to get through the current health crisis at hand. Typically, additional out of pocket expenses are minimal, or nothing at all. - 23211

About the Author:

Before you go out and buy a policy go to Long Term Care Insurance, ask questions and request a long term care insurance quote. We represent 20 of the top LTCi providers. This gives you tremendous options.