While not an immediate concern in some parts of the United States, it could be an indicator of what to expect in the future.
Georgetown, Texas, USA – May 6, 2012 — Another blistering hot summer in Texas means high demand for electricity. This could become a problem for Texans because unlike many other states in the nation, Texas’ electric grid is not connected to the rest of the national grid, which means that Texas does not have readily available sources of supplemental electricity. Rolling “black-outs” are a real possibility as generation capacity struggles to keep pace with increasing demand. As a result, the appliances in your home could experience power surges as your neighborhood participates in the rolling blackouts. This surge results from the return of electricity when your section of the power grid is reenergized.
Another possibility is a “brown-out” condition. A ‘brown-out’ occurs when the electrical demand is great and the voltage drop along the high voltage distribution lines becomes large because of the amount of load on the line. A ‘brown-out’ condition can also be the result of generation facilities mitigating the effects of “reactive power” on the distribution grid resulting from the air-conditioning compressor motors and fans operating in the multitude of homes and office buildings. You, the consumer, notice this as a prolonged dimming of lights or lower intensity of the TV screen when your air-conditioner or other motorized appliance starts. Georgetown resident Michael Robinson, a retired nuclear power plant operator and now an energy management consultant, explains: “When this ‘reactive power’ (measured in VARs or Volt Amperes Reactive) becomes great enough to pose a threat of damaging the generator, the generating facility must reduce the output voltage of the generator in order to keep the VARs within the manufacturer’s specifications for the loading of the generator.” He further explains, “As a result of reducing the generator voltage, and consequently the voltage on the grid, the appliances in your home draw more current (Amperes) because the appliance still needs a specific amount of power in order to perform ‘work’. Power is calculated as volts multiplied by amperes. If voltage goes down, then amps must go up to produce the same amount of power and therefore do the same amount of work.” As the appliances use more current, they get hotter. This is a result of the resistance of the wiring within the air-conditioning compressor motor or any other motorized equipment operating in the home. As the motor gets hotter, it gets closer to ‘failure’ due to overheating.
“But, there are some solutions!” states Mike Robinson of EnviroMajik, a Georgetown based company specializing in energy saving technologies. “We have a device, called the SteadyPowerTM, that suppresses power surges and voltage spikes before they have a chance to affect your electronics and appliances. It is connected to the electrical distribution box in your home and serves as a surge suppressor, an electronic noise and harmonic filter and power factor correction device that mitigates the effects of ‘reactive power’ (VARs) and saves you, on average, between 8% and 18% on your electric bill. Appliances run cooler and therefore they last longer.” He further states, “We are in the process of becoming an area distributor and energy consultant for EnergyShield-ABTM Attic Blanket System (from YellowBlue Eco Tech). This is a double-layered 99.9% pure polished aluminum foil blanket with a high tech insulation, or ‘thermal break’, sandwiched between the aluminum layers. Installing this system in your attic reflects 97% of radiant energy and restricts convection and conduction heat transfer from your attic space into your home thus cutting your heating and cooling expenses by 20-40%!”. That’s pretty significant savings! These products are also available for commercial applications.
Mr. Robinson says, “We are often asked how we differ from other energy savings companies. We are different from many other companies because of the products that we market. For instance, the SteadyPowerTM by Vollara, offers a 10-year, $25,000 warranty and has a life expectancy of over 20 years. The EnergyShield-ABTM Attic Blanket System is the same technology used to control the temperature in the International Space Station and the space environment suits used by our astronauts. I guess you could say that the products we offer have been thoroughly tested and will live up to expectations. But first, they have to live up to mine.”
The SteadyPowerTM by Vollara must be installed by a licensed electrician for the warranty to be activated. The EnergyShield-ABTM Attic Blanket System is installed by factory-trained specialists, is proven to reflect 97% of radiant energy and is an EnergyStar rated product. For more information on these and other money saving, green technology products, contact Michael Robinson at EnviroMajik.
Media Contact:
Michael Robinson
Director of Marketing and Research
EnviroMajik Green Technology Products
Georgetown, TX 78628
info@enviromajik.com
(512) 221-2400
