Energy savings from PQ mitigation technologies Techniques for evaluating vendor claims

A vexing problem facing facility and power quality managers and PQ professionals is how to evaluate the claims made for retrofit devices that purport to significantly reduce the energy costs of common facilities and households without requiring modification of end use equipment. Energy cost savings claims of 10%, 15%, or even 25% or more have been observed in patent and marketing literature. These devices often incorporate common PQ technologies such as power factor correction capacitors, chokes, and TVSS, but also claim energy savings in addition to PQ benefits. How can a prospective purchaser separate substantive claims from those that are less so? This paper will provide some insights on this question and a method for evaluating any energy-related technology and provide insights on the pitfalls to avoid in conducting such evaluations.