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
(512)
221-2400
