POM Energy Concepts - Benefits / FAQS

In a nutshell, it uses magnetic fields to manage power consumption. It holds voltage up during short duration brown-outs, and prevents the voltage from spiking, by rapidly absorbing energy in its magnetic choke system. This can result in significant savings by reducing maintenance costs and equipment downtime while extending equipment life.

To go into a bit more detail, the effect of magnetic fields within the electrical distribution system is commonly overlooked in facility power analysis. Throughout any AC system, magnetic fields are constantly being created and re-created, as a function of the alternating current sine wave. With each collapsing of a magnetic field, some energy is lost.

PowerGUARD™ System flattens the current wave form on the line side of the connection point. This results in a smaller magnetic field being created each half cycle, and a concurrent reduction in magnetic field losses. These incremental half cycle savings are achieved over 300 million times per month adding up to true power savings at the utility meter. Note that the current waveform to the load is not affected.

How will Power Conditioning protect my facility?

Power Conditioning helps protect your facility against unwanted electrical events and reduces your maintenance costs:

Surge and sag protection. Many facilities suffer a variety of motor failures from dirty power. Power that surges and sags is hard on motors, and will shorten a motor's lifespan. PowerGUARD™ uses a magnetic field to sense when the load is changing, and will instantly smooth out that load. A good example is when a motor is turned on. The initial surge is dampened by the PowerGUARD™ unit's magnetic field, and will reduce the impact of that power surge on the motor windings. another good example is the change in current when going from grid to backup power. A customer in Indiana felt this protection alone justified the cost.

Lightning protection. Lightning strikes can be a very expensive act-of god. Lightning is tough to predict and very powerful. PowerGUARD™ units offer proven protection against this most powerful energy spike by absorbing the energy from a lightning strike. The unit's magnetic field absorbs and dissipates the energy. In fact, the unit can sustain multiple hits and continue to operate. In facilities that have frequent lightning strikes, the cost of installing a PowerGUARD™ unit can pay for itself several times over in a single uncontrolled lightning strike.

Reduces harmonics. Businesses that make widespread use of computers, variable speed drives and digital equipment are plagued with harmonic distortion on their facility's electrical system. The result is a premature overloading of the supply transformer; consequently the transformer can't respond to rapidly changing load demands. In addition, electrical hot spots, voltage waveform distortion and overloaded neutral conductors all will result in higher maintenance costs. Our Power Enhancement equipment uses magnetic fields (chokes) to increase the capacity of the supply transformer by reducing the current requirement and harmonic content. Our equipment also converts some harmonic current to useful energy, and improves the voltage wave form for all facility equipment.

Balances Voltage Phase to Phase. Our equipment balances voltage across each electrical phase and increases voltage to motor loads, causing them to run more efficiently. A corresponding increase in savings is achieved when facilities have multiple motors.

What is the PowerGUARD™System?

Technically called a Magnetic Choke System, it is a technology for power conditioning that represents a true, sole source breakthrough in energy conservation. The magnetic chokes are the only technology that cross-couples power across phases. Unlike harmonic filters or TVSS systems that shunt energy to ground or neutral, the PowerGUARD™ takes "dirty" power from one phase and reintroduces the energy on the opposite phase as clean power- reducing the need for power from the grid. Due to its nature as an inductive reactor, it improves Power Factor without the chance of hitting a resonant frequency as is the case with capacitors. It is most effective with inductive loads.

How much can I expect to save?

Our customers average 5 -7% on their electric bill, and we can prove it!

What is the financial payback?

Most of our customers experience less than a 30 month simple payback based on energy savings. POM guarantees a 36 months payback in most applications.. The PowerGUARD™Power Conditioning System works in conjunction with other energy conservation measures that may already be in place. We offer a no cost evaluation to determine the appropriate PowerGUARD™System for your facility.

How will my savings be measured?

There are many things that impact how much power you use and the cost: an increase in demand at your facility, new construction, addition (or removal) of capacity, utility rate changes, peak demand changes, changes in delivery charges, installation of energy saving devices (efficient lights, more efficient motors) ? the list is endless. For these reasons, it is impossible to do a summary comparison of total energy bills from one month to another.

The only real way to accurately measure the savings is via Timed Interval Sampling (TIS). Here's how TIS works:

When the PowerGUARD™ System is being evaluated, a meter is placed at the Main Switch Gear of the facility to read the entire facility energy usage.
The PowerGUARD™ units are alternately activated and deactivated at timed intervals such as 15 minutes, 20 minutes, or 30 minutes to collect comparative samples of energy used, in kWh, by the loads in the facility in equal conditions. The samples are recorded and averaged in each respective operating condition. A minimum of two (2) days during normal operation of the facility is sufficient to produce valid statistical results.
The most justifiable way to demonstrate electrical energy reduction is from the utility meter. When this meter is not practical, the Tiff 220-3 portable true-watt-hour meter is used. This meter meets the standards of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
POM Energy Concepts has found that Timed Interval Sampling is the most reliable and verifiable method of comparing energy consumption, while still accounting for all variables present. TIS will be used to verify that the PowerGUARD™ System is operating as guaranteed in your facility and will provide instantaneous results.

How are these units installed?

They are easily installed by a licensed electrician. The units are connected in parallel, as close to the distribution panel as possible, usually at a MCC (Motor Control Center). They are connected via a 40 amp circuit breaker or disconnect. Distributing the units throughout the facility allows the units to save you the most energy and offer the maximum protection. Units are not connected directly to a single motor but rather at a distribution panel.

How does un-used power get put back in my system?

This is accomplished by taking non-60Hz energy from one phase and re-introducing the energy on the opposite phase at 60Hz.

Isn't Power Conditioning just another term for capacitor?

Power Enhancement delivers far more than a capacitor. Capacitors will not protect against surges, will only improve power factor, and will only save a minimal amount of energy (approx 2%). They also amplify harmonics in your system that can damage sensitive equipment.

Power Enhancement equipment can do all of this and save you 5- 7% on your power consumption.

Said anther way, power enhancement offers superior protection and pays for itself in 36 months or less. Capacitors can't make that same claim.

How can I get a no-cost proposal for my facility?

Most facilities vary their usage throughout the year. By having 12 months of bills, POM can assess seasonal differences as well as peak / off peak usage . From this information, POM can prepare a proposal for you.

Why does POM need an entire year of bills to prepare my proposal?

The cost of power and pattern of usage varies from season to season and with production levels. In order to get a complete picture, POM uses your most recent 12 months of bills.

How do I know if Power Enhancement is right for me?

Power Enhancement equipment may be right for you if any of the below is true:

Ø Your cost of power seems to be escalating beyond your control

Ø You want to reduce the motor damage caused by spikes and surges

Ø You would like to reclaim unused power from VFDs, etc

Ø You would like to improve your power factor

Ø You need improved lightning protection

What happens if the unit fails -- will I lose power?

The PowerGUARD™ unit is a passive unit that uses a magnetic field (choke) to control the power. If a PowerGUARD™unit drops offline for any reason, there is NO INTERRUPTION OF POWER TO ANY EQUIPMENT. Because the units are connected to your equipment in parallel, power will continue to flow normally through the unit and to your facility, but because the magnetic field has been lost, the unit can no longer protect against spikes, sags, surges, etc.

Who uses it?

Anyone who wants to save significant energy and money, wants improved power factor, and wants superior protection against surges, sags and lightning protection.

POM Energy Concepts "Saving you money and energy"

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