Energy Saving Device ....part 2

Energy "saver" products which is targeting home users.

It has been quite common we can see this type of products being sold at supermarkets, R&R areas at highways and many more public places. Common items on displayed are:

• kWh meter ( to measure electrical energy consumption)
• Fluorescent tubes
• Samples of electricity bills for a house (address normally cannot be seen clearly or covered at all)They claimed the device can reduce power factor/stabilize the voltage/reduce current or even to make the movement the electron more smooth.
• They will show us the reduction in electrical parameters such as current and power when they use the device and without the device.
• Fluorescent tubes will be used as electrical appliance that they claimed use less energy if the device is used.
  

Some of them even claimed that the power being supplied to our home is not stable and that device can save electricity and stabilize the power supply.

One more thing I am not sure their qualifications and level of knowledge especially when they also claimed sometime that the product has been approved by SIRIM and Energy Commission.

That is what they claimed and this the facts:

1. Some of them have sent their device to SIRIM for testings as follows; -

• Safety test- SIRIM will test according toStandard MS 1144:1998 for General Requirements for Electrical Accessories (First Revision). If they passed this test, basically the product is safe for use.

However, I am not sure about the consistency of the safety performance of the product sold in the market to be compared with the tested units.

I have done some checking below are my findings so far:

• Power consumption test- So far, there is no standard available to test the energy performance of the device. What was done normally by these suppliers is , they sent it to SIRIM for testing with the testing requirements prepared by themselves. SIRIM will conduct the test a requested by them. They will use the test result to prove the device can save electricity.
  

The observation can be from the test results are:

• Only reduction in Ampere/kW/kWh and the reduction vary from depending type of electrical appliances being used in the test. It is within 2% reduction. Normally they claimed more than 30% savings.

• None of these test results indicate the energy performance value of the appliances such as lumen/watt for lamps or Energy Efficiency Ratio for air conditioners.

So far, none of these products suppliers are able to provide the technical prove that the device that they are selling can reduce electricity and in the same time maintain or improve the output of the appliances where it is installed. The simple way to calculate power is Power (Watt) = Voltage (V) x Current (I) for single phase supply at home Surely anything we do to reduce V or I will reduce the P but reducing Watt is not the only element in energy efficiency. It should not affect the performance or output of our appliances as well and our comfort level.

2. Energy Commission has never approved any energy saving device that need to be installed at any electrical appliances and has the ability to reduce electricity consumption or to improve its energy efficiency level. A check in Energy Commission's website showed a list of products that met certain requirements that have been set and can be classified as energy efficient material and equipment namely insulation material, televisions, domestic fans, wall mounted split unit air conditioners, lamps, ballast for fluorescent lamps, domestic refrigerators and high efficiency motors.

For normal consumers like us, may be we don't really look into this since our concern is only on how we can pay less for our electricity bills. There are many other ways to use less energy and pay less but in the same time we keep our comfort level at home. It is all about how we use it and what appliances we are using. Many guidelines on how to use energy efficiently have been published and available in the bookstores and websites and we just need to have a look at it to be efficient energy users.

The choice is in us to choose the " easy" way and buying the energy "saver" with so much uncertainties or the proven methods that can be easily applied at our home.