Today’s energy conscious climate has motivated many to do what they can to become more efficient and conserve energy and money. Unfortunately this same climate has prompted others to take advantage of unsuspecting consumers’ wishes to save energy and reduce expenses.

Companies that tout power factor improvement (kVAR correction) and transient voltage suppression are a good example of this bad trend. Lately we are seeing more and more of these companies cropping up and feel it is time to set the record straight.

First, transient voltage surge suppression (TVSS) plays a valuable role in improving power quality to protect sensitive equipment inside a facility. However, TVSS does not save energy. TVSS’s are only active a tiny fraction of a second to protect against voltage surges which only last for less than a millisecond. To actually reduce energy consumption the TVSS would need to actually cut power consumption for an extended period of time which is not what they are designed to do. Again, TVSS is important to protect sensitive electrical equipment but buyers should avoid vendors promising, or even guaranteeing, that they will reduce energy consumption.

Now what about vendors who claim that improving power factor will save 15% or 20% or 30% of energy consumption and corresponding cost? This one is a little trickier.

For residential applications, power factor does nothing to save energy because the typical home already has an average power factor of about 0.97 which is almost the perfect power factor of 1 or unity. In addition, the device (called a capacitor) is placed at the main circuit breaker. According to IEEE 5.5.3.3 capacitors must be situated at or near the respective inductive loads to reduce power system losses by reducing heat and distribution losses known as I2R losses.

So what about commercial and industrial facilities using power factor correction to reduce energy costs? It is perfectly appropriate for a company that is incurring penalties or a kVA billing structure from the utility company to improve the facility’s overall power factor by employing a capacitor bank at the main service entrance or individual capacitors at or near the respective motor loads. Doing so will eliminate the power factor penalties and/or reduce the kVA demand charges on the utility bill which can save significant money and provide a significant ROI on the investment.

But what about power factor correction reducing kWh consumption? IEEE also tells us that I2R losses only account for 2 to 5% of the total load in a facility. Simple math tells us that it would be against the laws of physics to get the 15% to 30% energy reduction claimed by some vendors. Think about it. Even if your facility had 5% distribution losses and you could correct 100% of the problem via power factor correction at every load (which can’t be done) you would still only save 5% at the most. No where near the claims of some capacitor vendors and manufacturers.

All that said, power factor correction when done properly will eliminate utility penalties and kVA demand charges, improve facility power quality, increase electrical system capacity, and save a little energy when applied to the appropriate motor loads.

So make an investment in transient voltage surge suppression and power factor correction when appropriate and necessary. But caveat emptor!

Save Money On Your Company’s Energy Bill, visit Energy Edge Technologies site for strategies on saving a tremendous amount of capital on your Corporate Energy Bill or call 888-729-5722 Ext. 100.

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A third party logistics company can save your business significant money over the next year. A third party logistics provider can provide services for parts of your company. This can result in a huge boost in sales and performance, depending on your company goal.

If you are looking for freight control, a TPL is capable of providing excellent service in that area. If you need things sent across the country or even around the world, a freight control third party logistics group can help you arrange that for your company. TPL companies usually have easy access to various means of transporting materials and goods from one place to another.

If you need packaging and distribution services, then a TPL firm can also do this with ease. Using this type of service can save your company considerable amounts, especially if you frequently run behind deadline. The company will then choose the delivery methods for you based on your requirements, so that everything can fall into place with ease.

If you need something done immediately, or extremely fast, an on demand service is available. Some, but not all, TPL companies are incorporating on demand deliveries and pick ups and general fast services. This allows you to get everything done exactly on schedule. They will often use jets or helicopters to deliver biological hazards as well as easily perished materials – like organs for a transplant.

A consulting firm for non-assets can provide information and advice for your company. They can handle the skills it takes to get a company moving in a specific direction. They can also help manage projects that cannot be handled by the CEO or other employees of the said company, which provides a frugal way to get a high quality service done.

Reasons for choosing third party consultants are always up to the companies that hire them. Having the knowledge that these services often own their own transportation services such as trucks, planes and other vehicles makes them more attractive to business owners that need urgent services. Overlapping of all of these services is common and not an unusual factor in deciding which services to use. The third party logistics offered by one company may actually subcontract other companies if they are unable to fulfill certain aspects that are required by clients.

Closing Comments

If you feel that something is just out of reach to your business, then hire a TPL. They can have access to hard to find services and transportation methods. They are also capable of completing things quickly without too much delay in turnaround times.

Learn more on Target fulfillment and distribution and reverse logistics.

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There are plenty of things you can do to demonstrate better energy efficiency. Everyone knows the big ones such as recycle and turn off the lights. But there are other small things that can really add up. They may seem odd or like slight inconveniences, but the small magnitude of the inconvenience will completely disappear once it becomes a part of your regular schedule.

The first thing is to unplug all chargers when you are done with them. Many people have their cell phone, camera, or MP3 chargers in the same spot, always ready to go for convenience purposes as we are all always rushing out the door. However, leaving something just simply plugged in can drain electricity and at the same time serves no purpose.

Another thing would be to car pool or take public transportation. These are likewise inconveniences to many people, especially on days when they are running late. However, sticking to a schedule like this may actually make you more punctual and aware of your time. It also can be much cheaper for you. Your car will last longer and your petrol bill will go way down.

You should also start recycling the little bits of plastic you may not even realize can be recycled. For example, many people just throw away the plastic trays from TV dinners. This is hugely impractical, since they can be easily rinsed out and recycled.

Many people throw away lots of little bits of paper like sticky notes, or bits of plastic, like from a candy wrapper. This plastic is merely going to sit in a land fill. Why not put it to good use? These things all add up, so we need to be smart about them. If everyone merely took a step back and looked at what they were really wasting–and knew the life of an object after it was thrown away–people would save so much more in terms of recycling and reusing

Save Money On Your Company’s Energy Bill, visit Energy Edge Technologies site for strategies on saving a tremendous amount of capital on your Corporate Energy Bill or call 888-729-5722 Ext. 100.

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The dream of owning a vacation home in some sun-drenched overseas location is one the majority of us share, and because real estate proves itself time and again as a solid long term investment commodity, many more people are committing to purchasing real estate abroad as an investment that they and their family can also enjoy and benefit from.

California property taxes are due in two equal installments. The first installment is due November 1 and delinquent December 10th. The second installment is due February 1 and delinquent April 10th. Late payments adds a 10% penalty to the property tax bill. Unpaid properties are considered tax defaulted if not paid in full by June 30 of each year. Starting July 1, title to these parcels is vested in the name of the state and interest on any unpaid bill begins to accrue at a rate of 1.5% per month (18% per annum).

Tip One – Learn the Rules and Regulations.Different countries have different rules relating to the right or otherwise of foreign citizens to own the freehold title to immovable property. Some widely publicised destinations don’t allow foreigners to directly own the land on which their property sits (Bulgaria) or more than one property (Cyprus) for example, and some countries are less economically or politically stable than your own which can mean that real estate related rules and regulations may change in the future.

Make sure you’re comfortable with the workings of the country you’re considering buying a vacation home in, and if in doubt seek professional advice about that country and the ambitions you hold for owning a holiday home in it.

Tip Two – Good Investment/Bad Investment .If you’re buying a vacation home with a hope that it will go up in value and be not only a family retreat but a great asset, know that real estate, just like any investment commodity, can go down in value as well as up. Furthermore not all countries have a real estate economy the same as the one in your own country – a little research would be wise into the historic nature of the property market in your country of choice as well as predictions for its future. While such data is not a direct indication of how well your investment will perform it will arm you with more data to hopefully make your decisions easier.

Tip Three – Title Deeds and Legalities.Legal systems and the title deed registration process differ from country to country therefore know your legal rights and try and find out about the essential searches, surveys and title deed checks that need to be conducted before you should commit to buying your overseas vacation home. Never enter into any form of contractual agreement without the direct assistance of an independent lawyer and never accept someone’s word that a vacation home has its permissions and title deeds valid and up to date. Insist on seeing and checking all important facts and data before signing on the dotted line.

Tip Four – Accessibility and Desirability.If you’re thinking about making an income from your vacation home or even hoping to holiday in it yourself regularly, one of the most important factors to bear in mind is the accessibility or otherwise of your vacation home. If your real estate is difficult to reach, with many miles to traverse and complicated and expensive plane journeys to plan, then it will just become a less desirable commodity over time. While a vacation involves getting away from it all and escaping every day life, a vacation destination and home should be easy and affordable to reach.

When a property has been offered for sale at least once and no acceptable bids have been submitted, the tax collector may re-offer those properties at the next scheduled sale at a minimum bid he/she deems appropriate. The county’s Board of Supervisors must approve a drop in the minimum bid. Currently, there are no over-the-counter sales in California.

Such professionals can save you time, effort and money and they can make the whole process of buying and owning a vacation home that much simpler. Make sure you take references, examine credentials and see qualifications before employing anyone to assist you however, and if at all possible seek recommendations because anyone who does a good job will always get good press!

Want to find out more about Houses for Sale in California, then visit Severica Vintila’s site on how to choose the best Real Estate for your needs.

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