It is generally accepted that electricity in Russia is inexpensive. And therefore, for a long time, neither business nor individuals paid special attention to saving electricity. Objectively speaking, there were reasons for this - our country has almost the best energy supply system in the world, there are a large number of power plants, a developed network of control over the distribution of energy. All this makes it possible to generate electricity cheaper than in many developed countries.
But inflation does not stand still - and now the tariffs are rather high. Theses about the need to improve energy efficiency are discussed at the government level. Both citizens and businesses need to save electricity. The question is how best to do this, what device to save electricity to put at home or in a factory.
First, let's talk about what options there are for saving electricity in residential buildings and apartments. And then we will move on to energy efficiency in the corporate sphere.
So, for the owner of the apartment, who has a priority - saving electricity, the scheme is as follows.
One of the most effective and affordable ways to save electricity at home is to replace incandescent bulbs with more modern ones (LED, fluorescent or halogen). On average, savings reach 5-6 times. Some types of modern lamps have a longer service life compared to traditional products (up to 10 times).
When buying new household appliances (especially those types that are characterized by very high energy consumption - washing machines, for example), you need to look at the energy efficiency indicators (class) of a particular model. If we take the same “washers”, then class A ++ devices are about 20 percent more energy efficient than those belonging to the A-class.
In many apartments, the most electricity-consuming type of household appliance is the refrigerator. One of the most costly procedures in terms of energy consumption is the process of freezing and defrosting. If the No Frost option is installed in the refrigerator, then this is not necessary, and therefore such a device will by default be more energy efficient than a conventional one. The No Frost refrigerator is an excellent energy saving device in itself.
The refrigerator should be located away from devices from which heat comes (in particular, from heating batteries). It is undesirable to furnish the refrigerator with kitchen cabinets and create a narrow space where air circulates with difficulty. It is not recommended to put uncooled food in it.
Interesting fact. When water is boiled on an electric stove without a lid, a lot of heat is lost, which is why the device has to get this leak at the expense of electricity. Hence, another effective option for saving electricity is to boil water on the stove, closing the pan with a lid.
Now about washing machines. The highest level of energy efficiency in these appliances is achieved with an optimal load of linen (according to the technical documentation). If the machine holds 5 kg, then this is how much you need to load with each wash. If the linen objectively does not require soaking - do not use it. If the clothes are not dirty, you can get by with low-temperature conditions (30-35 degrees).
If possible, in rooms and other residential premises, lamps of a local orientation should be used - sconces, floor lamps. It is best to provide each corner of the room with a separate lamp - for evening reading, for ironing. It makes sense to turn on the chandelier only if guests come or you need to do some cleaning. But almost always, general lighting can be replaced with economical LED strips located around the perimeter of walls or ceilings. They also make the room more stylish.
The most economical mode of operation with an electric kettle is to boil water only in the right amount. Filling the containers of the device completely and boiling it is so advisable if the whole family is sitting at the table or guests have come. It is also worth noting that an electric kettle boils water with greater energy efficiency than a stove.
The ironing process is best divided into three stages. On the first (immediately after turning on the iron) - iron things that do not require high temperature (for example, handkerchiefs, wool products). On the second (as soon as the iron heats up - usually then the light goes out on it) - only those that are well ironed with a hot iron (shirts, trousers). At the third stage, you should turn off the iron from the outlet and finish ironing those things that are similar in characteristics to socks and wool.
In many cities of Russia there are so-called nightly electricity tariffs (they are usually 30-40% cheaper than daytime ones). It makes sense to use this and turn on, for example, a washing machine, a slow cooker (and, if possible, other appliances) to save electricity only during those hours when these tariffs are active. Some types of devices are perfectly suited for this. For example, almost all modern machines and stoves are equipped with a delayed start mode - the exact start time for washing or cooking can be programmed.
A TV and computer operating in dim display mode consumes much less power than when fully dimmed. Savings are at least 5%. Therefore, if possible, you need to use this mode. Regarding computers: “sleep” and “waiting” modes are not invented in vain. During them, the consumption of electricity by the device is reduced to a minimum.
Surprisingly, one of the most energy-consuming devices in modern Russian apartments is a charger for a phone (smartphone, tablet). And this despite the low power (about 5-10 watts). The thing is that the owners consistently forget these devices in sockets. So these modest 5-10 watts completely imperceptibly by the end of the month “wind up” the amount of energy comparable to what is consumed by chandeliers. Be sure to turn off the charger to save electricity.
A vacuum cleaner with a clean, sealed dust container is about 40% more energy efficient than one with a heavily clogged or cracked container. 40% of 1500-2000 watts (so much vacuum cleaners consume on average) - this is comparable to how much all the lamps installed in the apartment “wind up”.
If you put dishes on the electric stove, the bottom diameter of which strictly matches the size of the burners, then this will increase the energy efficiency of the cooking process by 5-10% compared to the mode when the arrangement of pots and pans is “at random”. It is also important that the bottom of the dish is flat. Another tip: as soon as the water boils, you should immediately switch to an energy-saving mode with a lower temperature (heating cannot go above 100 degrees - water will only evaporate, and energy will be wasted).
The owners of modern Russian apartments can use various devices that save electricity. Very popular, in particular, are dimmers (also called dimmers).
These devices are installed instead of switches. With their help, you can smoothly adjust the level of brightness of the light (the devices are equipped with regulators for the voltage supplied to the lamps from the mains). If, say, 100-watt lamps are installed in the room, then the dimmer allows you to “turn” them into 30-watt lamps according to the situation. Or, say, 80-watt. A dimmer is a device for saving electricity, reviews of which characterize this invention as very technological.
LED is an electrical element that allows you to generate streams of light using much less current energy than a conventional incandescent lamp. The LED lamp is a device for saving electricity, reviews of which, as it is correct, are extremely positive.
The main question that interests the Russian consumer is whether there is real savings when installing lighting fixtures based on LEDs? How tangible is it? Experts, in order not to be unfounded, most often justify the advantages of LEDs like this.
The flux of light radiation is measured in special units - lumens. A typical incandescent lamp emits approximately 14 lumens per watt of electrical energy it consumes. Fluorescent energy-saving lamp - approximately 61 lumens. LED - about 100. So purely technologically, this device bypasses its traditional "competitors".
Let's try to work with numbers. Let's take the average market in which 5 energy-saving lamps are installed. It consumes about 330 kilowatts per year (if it is turned on for 12 hours daily). Let's say a kilowatt costs 5 rubles (it's difficult to say exactly how much electricity costs in Russia on average, there is a very large regionalization of tariffs). Then the owner of the apartment will pay 1650 rubles. And now we will make calculations for LED lamps. With an efficiency equal to the ratio of lumens per kilowatt (61 to 100), the savings will be almost 1000 rubles. And this is only for one lamp, of which there can be several in an apartment.
This is what the LED circuit looks like.
The energy efficiency of LEDs is explained by technology: while conventional incandescent lamps convert a significant percentage of electricity into heat (which is why the bulbs are hot), the LED almost completely converts electricity into light.
If we use LED lamps, energy saving is not the only plus of these devices. Among other advantages of LEDs is a long service life (about 50 times longer than incandescent lamps). There are practically no harmful substances in these types of lighting fixtures (while many energy-saving lamps contain mercury). LEDs lend themselves perfectly to adjusting the light (using the same dimmers). Many types of fluorescent lamps cannot work in the mode of smoothly changing the level of current supply. LEDs practically do not flicker, do not blink and do not fail during operation. Fluorescent lamps have all these effects. LEDs reach their full light output almost instantly. Fluorescent lamps, as a rule, spend several seconds on this. And if the room temperature is low, then sometimes minutes.
LEDs emit light that is closer to the spectrum of the sun than fluorescent lamps. This is noticeable even to the naked eye. It is enough to see how things look in the room when illuminated by different types of devices. LEDs have a much higher so-called light transmission index (or CRI).
For many apartment owners, it is important what “color” the space of the room is painted when an artificial light source is turned on - warm, neutral or cold. In the case of fluorescent lamps, you can choose a device that can glow in the first or second mode. Lamps with warm (yellow) tones have a color temperature of 2700 Kelvin. With a neutral (white color) - 5000, with a cold (blue tint) - 6500. LEDs provide exactly the same opportunity. In this regard, they are a complete replacement for energy-saving lamps. Moreover, these fixtures can generate many colors by themselves.
LEDs do not burn out, unlike other types of lamps. Over the years, they can only lose some consumer properties, but very smoothly and almost imperceptibly for the landlord.
The main counterargument of opponents of the use of LEDs is the high price of such devices. To some extent this is true. LEDs are more expensive than incandescent bulbs and their energy-saving counterparts. But the difference now is not the same as it was a few years ago, when LEDs just entered the market - since then they have managed to significantly fall in price. Consider a simple example that can then be shown to skeptics.
An ordinary incandescent lamp (60-watt) costs about 30 rubles.
Energy-saving fluorescent (which produces the same consuming about 12 watts) - 150 rubles.
LED (generating the same consuming 5 watts) - 500 rubles.
How much does electricity cost in our example? Let's take the case when the price of a kilowatt is 3 rubles (about the same in Moscow). Lighting fixtures in Russian homes (chandeliers, floor lamps) are used for about 8-10 hours a day. In a year, therefore, the lamps will burn 2920-3650 hours.
If there are incandescent lamps in lighting fixtures, then they will consume (we multiply the annual number of hours by wattage) 175-219 kilowatts. Luminescent - 35-44 kW. LED - 14-19 kilowatts.
We multiply by rubles.
The bill for light when using an incandescent lamp is 525-657 rubles.
Using a fluorescent lamp, the owner will pay 105-132 rubles.
With LED - 44-57 rubles.
Compared to an incandescent lamp, the LED pays for itself in the first year. Skeptics will say: "What about the luminescent product?" Savings is nothing. On the one hand, this is true - with a difference of 60 rubles, the LED will pay for itself in 8 years. But we look at the expiration dates: a fluorescent lamp has an average of 10 thousand hours (about 3 years of operation), while an LED lamp has 50 thousand hours (about 15 years). It turns out that after 10 years of work, the owner will invest in the purchase of new fluorescent lamps as much as in the LED. But this does not take into account the net savings in electricity, labor costs for replacing lamps and aesthetic advantages - we indicated above that LED light is closer to sunlight.
Having considered options for saving electricity in apartments, let's move on to the business area. Energy-saving technologies are the most important criterion for the competitiveness of an enterprise and the stability of a business model. Here every ruble counts. What are the options for Russian companies to save electricity?
The first thing to do is to install modern meters as accurate as possible - energy-saving technologies begin already at the level of calculations and budgeting for electricity costs.
The purchase of frequency converters is among the top-priority stages of work to improve energy efficiency. These devices allow you to tailor a corporate power plan to individual types of equipment, which can improve their performance and energy efficiency. A frequency converter is a device for saving electricity, reviews of which reflect a great interest in the operation of such inventions on the part of Russian firms.
Cadres, as you know, decide everything. It is necessary that a responsible person (or a group of employees) deal with the issues of increasing the efficiency of electricity consumption at the enterprise. Sometimes the title of such a position sounds like "Responsible for the energy sector." The main duties of such a specialist are to supply the enterprise with advanced technological solutions in the field of energy saving, maintenance of purchased devices, control over repair and maintenance work, and timely equipment diagnostics. Also, the functions of this specialist may include the development of action plans for training the basics of energy saving for company employees. An accountant can be sent to help a specialist, who can organize calculations for the electricity consumption of an enterprise, keep statistics
An employee responsible for energy management may also develop a special regulation, according to which it will be unacceptable to exceed the total power consumed by the company for a certain period (for example, a month). He can also hold corporate events to save energy - briefing employees, meetings. If, say, there is an excess of capacity (without the coordination and approval of the management or other competent employees), then, as an option, the costs will be compensated by the bonus part of the salary of the company's personnel. What wording can be in this regulation? For example, the inadmissibility of turning on lighting devices of such and such power, if there are no objective reasons for this.
By analogy with improving the energy efficiency of apartments and residential buildings, it is possible to put (where possible) fluorescent or LED energy-saving lamps.
What kind of energy saving device can the organization supply? A useful option is the installation of an RCD (residual current device) as part of the company's power supply system. This is not to say that this is a complete device for saving electricity. But it allows you to reduce possible leakage of electricity in the wiring. It is also useful to install soft starters (soft starters). As an option - simultaneously with the RCD. In turn, we can assume that the soft starter is a specialized device for saving electricity. It allows you to start industrial equipment, reducing the likelihood of overheating of the engines installed in it, and to set the optimal mode of operation in terms of energy consumption.
Before thinking about buying another expensive device to save energy in an enterprise, you need to make sure that resources are involved that are not directly related to high technology. On the contrary, sometimes the opportunity to save on electricity, as they say, lies on the surface. It does not matter at all how much the equipment costs, what is the scheme of the device for saving electricity, what are the nuances of installation and operation. A simple example: painting the walls, ceilings and floors of offices and industrial premises in light colors can significantly increase energy efficiency. This will minimize the frequency of switching on the lamps if there is at least evening or early morning sunlight on the street and practically eliminate such a need if the light is daylight. In the same connection, it is necessary to keep the windows of offices and industrial premises clean. Experts call a figure of 5-10% - this is savings due to transparent glasses. As you can see, there are no investments in expensive devices, but there is an effect.
You can implement systems that automatically control lighting devices (presence sensors, relays, etc.).
No need to save money on investing in new types of electrical engineering and industrial equipment. You need to understand that a significant part of the world's leading brands is developing for the markets of countries with very expensive electricity. In Russia, as you know, electricity, due to the total capacity of stations and their diversification (there are nuclear, hydro, thermal power plants), is cheaper than in most Western countries. It is necessary to follow the market of modern developments in the field of energy saving.
Regulations should be drawn up according to which office staff should use computer equipment. It may contain, for example, the following instructions:
If you need to move away from the workplace - put the computer into "sleep" mode, turn off the monitor;
- always turn off the copier, printer and scanner if they are not used (because even in standby mode, these types of office equipment consume energy);
- do not turn on air conditioners, heaters without objective need.
Having considered the main points related to how energy savings should be carried out at the enterprise, we will consider in detail the aspect of electricity consumption by lighting devices. According to statistics, about 10% (and in some industries - more than 30%) of the costs of Russian factories and plants associated with the consumption of electricity falls on the payment of electricity bills.
What are the ways to save energy in relation to light lighting? Experts name several key ones.
First, lighting installations in factories and plants must be used rationally. No part of the factory should be allowed to be lit with more powerful lamps than the rest of the territory.
Secondly, the level of electrical voltage in corporate networks should not be allowed to be above the nominal (or below it). In the first case, there will be an overexpenditure of electricity, in the second, the luminous flux will decrease, which can adversely affect performance.
Thirdly, it is undesirable for some nodes in the enterprise to work idle. It is necessary to install switches that will manually or automatically turn off and turn on individual groups of lighting devices. Automation and simplification of the decision-making process when working to improve energy efficiency is very important, since, in addition to saving electricity, there are also core production tasks.
In the markets, on the Internet, on television, advertising information about devices that can save a crazy amount of electricity periodically appears. Let's look into this issue, is it true, and how are such devices designed to save electricity.
In different regions, such devices for saving electricity appear, identical in purpose and composition, but at the same time having different names. According to distributors, the device needs to be plugged into a power outlet and nothing else. The device allegedly starts saving electricity immediately.
The cost of such devices differs, depending on the place of sale and the impudence of the seller, and is equal to from 10 to 60 dollars. The simplest device is made for a power of 15 kW of a 220 volt network. Also sold are devices for saving electricity in relation to a 3-phase network.
At the beginning of mastering the economy device, specialists are delighted, they feel their incompetence. The device has a long list of features that are implemented by mysterious patents and inventions of innovation. It is difficult to imagine how it is possible to implement completely different protection and saving functions in one device.
It is necessary to carefully consider this product and consider whether it is possible to set all the characteristics in one device. And the price of the device also raises doubts. Installations of capacitors of similar power are several times more expensive.
Stabilizers that protect against phase imbalance should cost much more. Harmonic filters are large products, with copper and iron, and are not cheap. The combination of all these qualities in one device is at least impressive.
Any consumer plugged into a socket requires an electric current, thereby setting in motion a meter in a garden house or in a city apartment. The larger and more powerful the consumer, the higher the energy costs. It is spent on heat, light or mechanical movement - active power. Reactive power accumulates in capacitors, inductors, solenoids, which are part of some devices.
After a certain time, this accumulated power goes out and returns back to the network of wires, while the voltage and current in the network increase, and therefore the meter readings become unreasonably large. There is such a term as apparent power, which is the sum of the COS factor and active power. Coefficient and serves as a quantity that measures reactive power. It is present on some designations of appliances and power tools. To determine the total power consumed by the devices, it is necessary to divide the power by a factor. The result of the calculations will be measured in volt amperes.
Electrical appliances and tools will not work without reactive power, so you can’t do without it. But everywhere they try to fight it. Enterprises in 3-phase networks use powerful capacitor banks to compensate for reactive energy. Less devices are used in home networks. counts all the total power passing through it.
Reactive electricity significantly affects the meter readings. If the power for an appliance or electric tool is 600 watts and there is reactive power, then the resulting power consumption will be 1000 watts. This excess power of the reactive component is compensated by the proposed device for saving energy in the house. They call him the saver.
Let's figure out how to optimize the cost of paying for electricity consumption by the meter in the home network. What is an economist? The developers claim that it has the function of removing reactive power in the supply network, it is repaid after passing through electrical appliances in which it accumulates. Otherwise, this reactive electricity will wander through the wires, increasing the magnetic field and the load on the home electrical network.
According to the operating manual, the saver must be plugged into the outlet, then the electricity is cleared of the power of the reactive component, passing through it. The controller monitors this - this is an innovative development of manufacturers. Also, devices for saving electricity are designed to monitor power surges, equalize them with a special module. Outside, the economizer looks like a streamlined body, with a plug for an outlet. On its surface there are two LEDs - indicators. When lit, they indicate the serviceability and functionality of the device. According to the manufacturer, the energy saving device consists of several modules. We have already talked about two of them.
The next module is a filter for various mains voltage distortions. This reduces . The device is designed to reduce electricity consumption by the meter by 15%, with a load of up to 19 kW. There are a lot of positive reviews about the operation of the saving device. A prerequisite is the inclusion of the device in the outlet, which is located immediately after the electric meter. Then the saving device will function in the mode conceived by the developer. To date, such devices for saving electricity are produced with various names, which means that the saving device is produced by many manufacturers and firms.
Most devices for saving electricity are not equipped with a light indicator on the body, by which one could judge its functioning. There is no need to hope that by buying such devices at home in the amount of 2-3 pieces you will save energy by a frantic number of percent. According to the operating manual, a device connected to an outlet closer to the meter has a positive effect; other devices to save electricity will only work as an extra load on the power line. Such a saver is not a salvation from energy overruns, there are alternative sophisticated devices for creating energy savings. They will be discussed further.
When powered from the city power grid, you can easily and simply reduce your electricity consumption and billing for it by the meter if you purchase some alternative energy source equipment. This method is associated with considerable costs, payback comes after a long time, it should take several years. With a significant total power of consumers or a poor device with insufficient performance, the payback time is extended for many years. But if the system is optimized, then the savings come much faster.
There are many suitable options for the operation of alternative energy sources that are compatible with the household network. On a site located outside the city, it’s a good idea to put water or. A water generator can be installed if there is a stream or a fast river with waterfalls.
Such devices are quite difficult to maintain, but if you carry out inspections, lubricate mechanisms, and repairs in time, you can use them for a long time to produce electric current. For optimal operation, good water and wind pressure is required, since the blades of a windmill and turbine require powerful pressure. Everyone can create or choose similar conditions if they have the desire and means. For example, there are models of vertical wind generators that operate from the slightest movement of air.
The negative side is that with an increase in the power of consumers, more solar panels are needed. They will have to cover all the buildings located on the site, roof slopes, gazebos, etc. If the size of the roofs is not enough, then it will be necessary to place the batteries on racks like sheds, or directly on the ground, on the area of the site.
A small panel area (1 m²) is enough to power a laptop or computer. Several panels will illuminate the room. On the garden plot, it has become an affordable method of saving, which are charged during the day, and at night they give off light, discharging. In winter, you can save on heating water by using the energy of geothermal waters for this.
This makes it possible to make the floors in the house warm, not to use electricity for heating in cold weather, not to use electric kettles and stoves in the garden where there is no gas. To generate energy, furnaces have been developed with the conversion of heat into electric current, with a power of up to 60 watts. This can power a small device or several light bulbs, or connect a battery to charge in order to create a voltage of 220 volts from it through an inverter.
There is a method for monitoring the operation of devices in everyday life. If a household appliance is turned off by pressing a button, then it has a current consumption, since memory and microcircuits work. This is how air conditioners, clocks, refrigerators work. When such devices are completely disconnected from the outlet, all settings will be reset.
When the air conditioner is not in use, you do not need to leave it plugged into the outlet, part of the electricity will be saved. , plugged into sockets, without phones, also consume energy for the glow of indicators. If you calculate all the expenses per day, or per year, then it will immediately become clear where and where energy is spent, and whether it is worth saving it.
So you've decided it's time to start saving. On what, in fact, without compromising health and appearance, you can save some money? Of course, on electricity consumption.
Think for yourself how wasteful we often spend it not only on lighting the premises, but also on heating and on ensuring the operation of numerous home appliances. To correct the situation, you must, first of all, realize that wasted burning light and a TV talking to itself is a waste of money. After awareness has come, you need to think about ways to reduce electricity consumption. We present to you our list.
Converting and using sunlight is one of the most efficient alternative methods of generating energy. The use of solar panels in everyday life can significantly save on electricity consumption.
The simplest thing is to use solar-powered lamps. Of course, the most effective option is to put a solar panel on the window, where a special battery will be charged with the help of the sun, from which you can later power the outlet. But: installing a solar battery, a battery and automating this system is an expensive pleasure. In addition, the housing and communal services system does not allow the widespread introduction of the use of solar panels in apartment buildings. Therefore, this electricity saving option is suitable for you if you live in a private house. And further climate is important where you live, if there are a lot of cloudy and rainy days in a year, then using solar panels will simply not be rational.
Now a lot of energy-saving devices have appeared on the market, for example, this one - Electricity Saving Box . They are inserted into the socket and power consumption is reduced. The essence of these devices is quite simple: they work as an uninterruptible power supply, that is, they protect your network from overloads and power surges. After all, with a voltage drop, quite a lot of electricity is wasted. In addition, the energy saver removes reactive energy that your network does not need, which only overloads the network and increases current consumption.
The advantages of this method are that it is legal, unlike magnets on the counter. And it's easy: the device is small and not expensive. You won't be able to save millions on this, but a couple of hundred is quite realistic.
Those who have already tried such devices to save electricity say that the benefit, although not gigantic, is quite tangible. In addition, when used, the life of various electrical appliances is increased, since you are essentially protecting them from burnout.
LED lamps of the new generation consume much less energy than fluorescent lamps, and their use time is longer. In addition, the LED has another indisputable advantage - the lighting it produces is as close as possible to natural daylight and does not tire the human eye, unlike the yellow light we are used to. Devices with LED lamps do not contain any harmful substances, they are absolutely harmless and safe.
But there is some difficulty: Many fixtures with LED lamps do not provide for the possibility of changing these lamps. Therefore, check this in advance, otherwise after the lamp burns out, the lamp will have to be thrown away.
But with energy-saving lamps, you can really save on electricity. They are quite expensive, on average from 150 rubles, but one energy-saving light bulb can easily replace 30 conventional light bulbs, each of which costs 25 rubles. So at the very least, you'll save some money. Plus, energy-saving light bulbs burn brighter and consume less.Energy Saving Principle is that such light bulbs almost do not heat up and the energy consumed is spent only on lighting the room. The service life of a quality energy-saving lamp can be up to 3 years.
Therefore, going broke once and putting energy-saving light bulbs everywhere in the house is a good way to save electricity.
These smart appliances solve the problem of wasted light. The motion sensor can be installed on the porch of the house, in the corridor or in the hallway. This energy saving device will automatically respond to the approach of a person by closing the circuit and turning on the light. If there is no movement in the coverage area of the device, the light will be switched off. Lighting off timers are programmed for a specific time, and can also respond to the absence or presence of daylight.
There are many pluses, minus only in the installation of the structure.
By saving on home appliance upgrades, you increase your energy bills. The fact is that old household appliances consume much more electricity than modern appliances of class A, A +, A ++.
With the rise in energy prices, in particular for electricity, as well as with the increase in the number of household electrical appliances for each connected to the energy supply, the consumer has an absolutely logical decision to take measures to save it. There are many ways to save electricity, however, not so long ago, a new, according to the manufacturer, innovative device has appeared that will significantly reduce the consumption of electrical energy both in the apartment and in the house. It's called the saver. What is it, how does this super device work, what does it consist of? And also of interest to everyone, the main question is true or false, that it will help save money. Before its operation and purchase, you need to understand it in more depth and carefully. In this article, the editors of the site will tell you the whole truth about what an energy saver is and what people are bred on.
This device looks very compact and is absolutely inexpensive, which, in principle, captivates the consumer, and also encourages him to part with his hard-earned money for the benefit of future huge savings. According to the advertising text on them, the “miracle” device will not only save energy costs, but even somehow be able to protect all electrical appliances plugged into sockets from thunderstorms and lightning strikes. Below is one of the most commonly found electrical savings in stores, which the manufacturer calls the Electricity Saving Box.
Two LEDs are installed on the front panel, signaling the health of the economizer and its readiness to perform the functions assigned to it. It may have several adapters for connecting to sockets of different designs so that it can be more versatile. The design of the energy saver can also have various shapes, rectangular or round, this does not change the essence of its work.
The technical parameters of the energy saver are indicated on the back:
Some of the specimens are designed for rather large loads, which should alert the buyer in the first place, sometimes there are such models that even power up to 40 kW is indicated. With such a power, the current should be approximately 180 A, which is not used in domestic conditions, since introductory machines most often have a rated operating current of 25, well, or 63 A maximum. Well, let's say, let this be the maximum indicator of the economizer, and it works at half strength, with a margin of power.
The principle of operation of the device to save electricity, as advertising resources and the manufacturer again claim, is based on converting the reactive component into an active one and transferring it to the network, thereby the saver removes the reactive component from the network. Indeed, the power consumed from the network contains both active and reactive components. At large substations of enterprises, so-called reactive power compensators are installed, which is created by large inductive loads. It appears as a result of the work of asynchronous motors, transformers and everything that converts electricity into an electromagnetic field. Compensating devices are:
This is how reactive power compensators look like, based on a capacitor bank:
However, meters installed at enterprises and distribution substations keep records of both active and reactive components, while at home there are metering elements that count only active energy. Therefore, there is no point in reactive power compensation, especially since in household appliances it is so insignificant that it should not even be taken into account.
In order to make sure and understand the device of the economizer, you will have to disassemble it and see what is inside it, a capacitor compensation battery or a synchronous generator. And here's what's inside:
And here is his diagram:
Several electronic elements such as a capacitor, resistors, LEDs, and a diode assembly for rectifying the mains voltage, and at best its fuse. In fact, this is an electrical circuit for powering LEDs, and no more, which not only will not save electricity, but, on the contrary, consumes some, albeit small, very insignificant part of the electricity to light up the LEDs. Devices connected from the outlet have almost no reactive energy, and as mentioned above, the meter does not count it, therefore, the saving effect is zero.
Important! Now we are talking not only about the energy saver Electricity Saving Box, but also about devices such as Econor And power saver. All of them are a scam, of course there is no real sense in using them, and even more so saving electrical energy! Under this article, we have provided links to more rational and, moreover, legal ways to pay less for electricity!
From theoretical concepts and research, let's move on to practice. In order to make sure that the saver saves electricity, that is, it makes the meter spin at the same load more slowly. To do this, there are two practical ways that everyone can try:
Thus, any model of this device to save electricity can, at best, reduce the reactive component of power in the networks of an apartment by connecting a capacitor in parallel, but meters do not count this energy. Yes, and such a capacity will not be enough for at least the slightest compensation for reactive power, and even more so for saving electricity.
Today on the market you can buy both proven devices for saving electricity (more precisely, equipment with high energy saving rates), and dubious devices for saving electricity. What is the difference between them, given that often home appliances are already factory-equipped with what various energy-saving devices for saving electricity are unreasonably promised?
All so-called "innovative" devices, regardless of price, are simply plugged into an outlet and, according to sellers, begin to reduce electricity consumption by 30-50%. The amount of the promised benefit depends on the type of household appliances in use. For example, the maximum effect should be achieved when the washing machine and refrigerator are running, and the minimum effect should be achieved when the toaster or electric kettle is running.
The appearance of the device resembles a very large computer mouse or radio. Size - about 12 cm long, 7 cm wide and 4 cm thick (sometimes a little more). These include smartBox, Pover Saver, Energy Saver, Powersave, berBox, Saving-box, Economy and others.
For example, the Electricity Saving Box device (at the same time, similar characteristics are present in the description of almost every device). It is stated that the economizer:
There is a ban on installation in rooms where the humidity exceeds 85%. When buying, there is no image of the contents of the case, so for testing I had to open the purchased sample. Inside the device, when “opened”, there was a power supply for indicator LEDs, taken out, a diode bridge and a capacitor.
The physical component of the process is described as a way to protect the network from reactive energy (or, as it is also called "side", "unnecessary"). It is assumed that this energy not only creates an additional load on the network, but also creates an electromagnetic field that adversely affects human health. Some devices (for example, Smart Boy) promise the effect achieved by converting reactive side energy into the desired active energy. In addition, the devices must:
Such a miracle device for saving electricity should be a salvation, but judging by the reviews of experts, the promise of savings is a scam, and the physical essence of the process has no theoretical justification.
In practice, the reactive component cannot be converted into useful types of energy, although it is needed for the process of converting the active component into energy of other types. At the same time, the reactive component can indeed exceed (and significantly) the active one (idle operation of transformers, electric motors, connection of spot welding units, etc.) Therefore, in enterprises where equipment and mechanisms with a high inductive component produce reactive energy, for "unloading » electrical networks use reactive power compensators (abbreviation KRM).
But the existing KRM compensators are much more complex devices than the presented savers, often cumbersome and, most importantly, they are immediately calculated for a strictly defined load, taking into account a lot of parameters. In the basic configuration of common home appliances, compensators are also introduced.
An example of a built-in PFC is Passive PFC - a device that is included in the power supply of almost all computers, reducing power consumption by 5-10% of the volume consumed by a computer without this element. PFC:
When installing it, it is important to observe the exact load factor, which is calculated at the factory, taking into account, for example, capacitance ratings and other values.
Other household energy savings that have been shown to be beneficial include:
For those who seek to reduce the financial cost of electricity, the most significant argument is that reactive energy is not considered household meters, and consumers do not pay for it. This is usually enough to stop such consumers from purchasing the device.
But supporters of such devices are trying to find advantages and often refer to the presence of official product certification, which should confirm the effectiveness. However, one must understand that such certification determines only the safety of the device, and consumer functionality and efficiency are not considered, so the presence of certification is a weak argument.
Experts note that on the Internet there are a number of schemes for various devices that are presented as saving. It is not possible to reduce energy consumption with their help, but some help to reduce interference in electrical wiring. However, at the same time, there is a high risk of choosing an erroneous circuit instead of an effective circuit, which will lead to a short circuit, burnout of the microcircuit.
