Power Factor Correction Equipment for African Businesses
Save up to 25% on Commercial Electricity Costs
The Savings you’ll make with OPP Power Factor Correction Equipment Will Shock You!
We can help you to save up to 25% on your Commercial Electricity Bills. And if you operate diesel generators you’ll also save at least 10% on your Diesel Fuel Expenses.
Optimised Power Products Ltd offer a Complete Range of Power Factor Correction Units designed and manufactured in the UK.
Key Benefits:
OPP STOPS Low Power Factor Surcharges
OPP SAVES up to 25% on 3 Phase Electricity Bills
OPP SAVES at least 10% on Diesel Generator Fuel Bills
“We used to exhaust our 600 litres diesel fuel tank in 12-13 hours of continuous use. But since the installation of power factor correction from Optimised Power Products, the same tank of diesel now lasts 17 hours. This represents a saving of around 30%.”
– Gurende – Branch Manager at Pick n Pay Wholesale
Power Factor Correction Equipment FAQ
About the Problem
What is the problem with electricity in Africa?
In other countries like the UK and Northern Europe the electricity infrastructure has received continual investment and development.
But in Africa the electricity infrastructure is outdated, poorly maintained and leaking like a bucket full of holes. 10’s of BILLIONS of KWh’s of electricity are lost and wasted.
This waste of electricity is called a Reactive Loss. We also call it Power Factor.
We’ve conducted Power Factor measurements at numerous African companies and the results show an average Reactive Loss of 22%.
It’s hard to believe, but some of the companies we helped were wasting as much as 40% of all the electricity they purchased!
Is the problem getting better?
Africa continues to lose 10’s of billions of KWh’s of electricity every year.
Instead of solving the problem at source, power companies respond with price increases and additional Low Power Factor Surcharges.
As an example, here are recent price increases imposed by ZESCO Zambia.
- 2015 electricity prices increased by 187%
- 2017 increased by 50%
- 2019 75% price increase
- 2021 15% increase
- 2022 Low Power Factor Surcharges begin…
What is Power Factor? How do we lose all that electricity?
Reactive Power Loss happens when the current flowing through your electrical system is greater than that needed to operate your electrical equipment. Your machines are unable to use the excess power, so it escapes and gets wasted in the form of heat.
The problem is, it makes no difference whether the energy escapes in the form of heat, or you use it to work your machines. Either way, you have to pay for it.
To calculate Reactive Power Losses we use a measurement known as Power Factor (PF). PF is the ratio between total power purchased and power used for the intended purpose. A Power Factor of 1 (i.e. 100%) means that all electrical power is used to work your machines, there is no reactive loss. A Power Factor of 0.7 would mean your plant runs 70% efficient, with 30% of all purchased electricity being wasted, due to Low Power Factor.
At Optimised Power Products we specialise in correcting Low Power Factor Issues using technology called Power Factor Correction Equipment, AKA Reactive Power Compensation Equipment.
Is there a solution to this problem?
In the longer term, wide-scale infrastructure investment is the solution. But for now, the only solution that can help reduce costs and save you money, is Power Factor Correction (PFC) Equipment.
The video below shows our equipment in operation on a 3 PHASE electricity supply in Zambia.
Before OPP is switched on, the L3 measurement drops to a low PF 0.73 in places, meaning 27% of the supply is being lost on that phase.
When the PFC unit is switched on it begins to correct the supply, taking about 10 seconds to reach PF 0.99/1.00. Meaning 99-100% of the supply is now being utilised, almost zero wastage.
In this particular case, monthly electricity expenses reduced by 18% and Low Power Factor Charges were eliminated from all future bills.
About the Solution
How does Power Factor Correction Equipment work?
Instead of your electricity becoming reactive/being wasted, PFC equipment uses capacitors to store the excess energy for you.
You can think of capacitors like batteries that store power. But these are special batteries that charge very quickly. They absorb and store the excess power and then release it back into the system at the rate your machines need it. This way nothing is ever wasted again.
Another way to picture this is like an over-spill tank for water. So instead of your water/electricity overflowing and being wasted, the over-spill tank stores the water so it can be used later. This is what our Power Factor Correction Equipment will do with your electricity supply.
What are the BENEFITS of Power Factor Correction?
1. The savings you will make
- Save up to 25% on your 3 Phase commercial electricity bills
- Save at least 10% on your monthly diesel fuel generator expenses
- Stop Low Power Factor and Reactive Energy Surcharges
- Continue to control costs and make savings for years to come
2. Increase your capacity/Reduce Energy Consumption
- Reduce Availability & Capacity Charges on Energy Bills
- Reduce Maximum Demand based Charges on Energy Bills
3. Reduce damage to your equipment and plant
- OPP equipment will extend the working life and reduce maintenance of pumps, air-conditioning plants, fridges, chillers and lighting rigs.
- OPP also reduces damage/wear to power cables, switch-gear and supply transformers.
4. The environmental benefits of power factor correction
- Reduce your carbon emissions and make your business cleaner and greener.
Who uses Power Factor Correction equipment?
You’ll find our equipment in steel production, tobacco processing, farm facilities, fisheries, abattoirs, dairies, food processing, cold room storage and even flower wholesalers.
Any African business that has a 3 Phase electricity supply can benefit from OPP Power Factor Correction equipment, AKA Reactive Power Compensation Equipment.
How much will I save?
1. NO MORE Low Power Factor Surcharges or Reactive Energy Charges.
2. SAVING up to 25% on all future electricity bills.
3. You’ll also be making BIG SAVINGS on the ever increasing costs of powering diesel fuel generators.
Our Power Factor Correction calculators will estimate the savings for you.
Can I buy OPP PFC equipment off the shelf?
Every power factor issue is different.
Our solutions are custom built to meet your individual requirements and solve the Power Factor issues that are specific to your installation.
Can OPP also reduce my diesel generator fuel bills?
Yes we can. OPP is the only Power Factor Correction technology available anywhere that works with diesel generators. Our units produce minimum diesel fuel savings of 10%, some of our units have recorded savings of almost 30%.
The video below shows one of our units in operation.
You can see the bottom line measures Power Factor (PF). When the unit is on The PF is 99-100%,
After 10 seconds the unit is turned off and the PF drops to 78%. Which means, if this company didn’t have OPP equipment that generator would increase its fuel consumption by 22%.
Calculate 22% off your own monthly diesel fuel bill – that’s the type of savings you’ll make with OPP.
Can OPP eliminate Low Power Factor Surcharges?
Yes we can. OPP targets PF 0.995 or better (as opposed to industry standard of 0.95), removing Low Power Factor Surcharges from all future electricity bills.
OPP Product and Technical Specification
Compliance with Standards: BSEN60831 (IEC831 & IEC70/70), BSEN60439, BSEN60204
Supply: 400v – 415v 3 phase 50Hz (other voltages available on request)
Operating temp: -25 C to 65 C group D (others available on request)
Ventilation: High quality force ventilated via fan & louvre with over-temp alarm
Capacitors: Vishay High Specification 150,000h Reinforced Dielectric (440V)
Installation: 4 wire (3 phase & neutral)
IP Rating: IP 42 min (other IP rating available on request)
Losses: 0.2 watts / kVar
Discharge: less than 50V one minute after switch off
CT: Split core mutli-ratio 200/400/600/800/1000-5A
Cable termination: M10 on to Socomec 3 pole door interlocked Load Break Isolator, MCCB or Busbar
How do you deal with high harmonics?
A site survey will reveal the harmonic values of your installation.
- If they are found to be below 4%, you can use a standard PFC unit.
- If they are above are 4%, you will need a detuned unit, utilising heavy-duty capacitors and harmonic limiting inductors.
This will eliminate all harmonic issues for good.
What causes harmonics?
Nonlinear loads are the primary causes of harmonics. These include (but are not limited to) variable speed drives, solid-state controls for heating and other applications, air conditioners and chillers, switched-mode power supplies like those found in virtually every computerised piece of equipment, static uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, electronic test equipment, and electronic office machines.
What are the problems associated with harmonic distortion?
- Damage to sensitive electronic equipment
- Increase in energy costs
- Unexplained tripping of devices
- Deterioration of standard capacitor circuits & power factor correction
- Distortion of supply voltage & current waveform
- Reduction in power quality
- Stress of electrical plant & machinery including generators
- Increase in operating temperate of cables & switchgear
- Increase in vibration levels
Harmonics can disrupt operations and severely reduce life span of equipment & controllers.
How much does OPP Power Factor Correction cost?
Prices vary depending on the size of your electrical installation and the nature of your power factor issues.
But the savings you’ll make are so great that our units pay for themselves (with the savings they make) in months. Sometimes it’s even less than that.
After that you’ll be saving all the way.
1. NO MORE Low Power Factor Surcharges.
2. SAVING up to 25% on all future electricity bills.
3. You’ll also be making BIG SAVINGS on the ever increasing costs of powering diesel fuel generators.
“We have been using the Optimised Power Products PFC Unit and are very impressed by the results. We have realised a significant saving on our electricity bill, we use less Solar and our Generators are using about 10% less fuel. We now also run more machinery on the same Transformer since the PFC unit has freed up additional power.”
– Tinashe Mombeshora – Maintenance Manager at Novafeed Animal Feeds
OPP POWER FACTOR CORRECTION EQUIPMENT – WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
The table below compares all the available PFC equipment suppliers.
These are the Key Factors you must consider when investing in Power Factor Correction Equipment for your African business.
SIX Good Reasons to Only Buy From OPP
1. MAXIMUM OPERATING ALTITUDE
Capacitors are the key component of PFC equipment. Install inferior capacitors and your PFC equipment is very likely to fail.
We only install Vishay High Specification Capacitors (also found on the Airbus A380), enabling us to guarantee trouble free performance at altitudes of 2000+ metres above sea level.
This is what happens if you install inferior quality capacitors.
2. MAXIMUM OPERATING TEMPERATURE
OPP equipment is specifically designed to withstand the demands of extreme heat.
It’s the only PFC equipment that guarantees trouble free operation at temperatures in excess of 55 degrees.
3. FORCED AIR COOLING
OPP’s ventilation system guarantees trouble free operation, even in the most extreme temperatures.
Without proper cooling and ventilation, circuits overheat and it’s not uncommon for components to melt.
That’s why we install forced air ventilation on all our PFC equipment, as standard. Our larger units are fitted dual forced air systems.
4. TEMPERATURE ALARM SYSTEM
Even with all the above specification and safeguards, sometimes operating conditions can result in damage to your PFC equipment and plant.
That’s why every unit we build comes fitted with temperature alarms. Any problems and you’ll be warned ahead of time.
5. REDUCE DIESEL GENERATOR FUEL BILLS
Savings of at least 10% are guaranteed, but we’ve also seen OPP generate savings in excess of 30%.
“WE USED TO EXHAUST OUR 600 LITRES DIESEL FUEL TANK IN 12-13 HOURS OF CONTINUOUS USE. BUT SINCE THE INSTALLATION OF OPP’S POWER FACTOR CORRECTION THE SAME TANK OF DIESEL NOW LASTS 17 HOURS. THIS REPRESENTS A SAVING OF AROUND 30%.”
You’ll find more information about this special feature throughout our website.
6. OUR 5 YEAR GUARANTEE
Our technology is so good that every unit we supply comes with a Full 5 Year Guarantee.
It’s unlikely that you’ll ever need it, but we give it to you so you have complete peace of mind.
“Since installation of OPP power factor correction the unit has given us great savings on our electricity bills. We are also very pleased with the service we received and are currently in the process of ordering further units for our other stores. It was very reassuring to be given a full 5 year warranty which no other company could offer us.”
– Niren Ramlaul – Operations Director at Spar Retail