Abstract

In the present day, the requirement for electric energy is increasing rapidly with the advancement of the technology. One of the most effective methods of achieving savings in electrically-operated systems and increasing its efficiency is the reactive power compensation. According to the presently enforced regulation, compensation is mandatory in the industry and it is made at certain intervals, however, there is no arrangement for residences and small-scale enterprises and this issue is neglected. It is possible to make significant amounts of savings if the reactive power compensation is implemented over the whole country. In this study, measurement of the reactive power in single-phase systems has been developed, as well as calculation for directing for energy saving through a microcontroller. In the implemented system, the phase difference between the current and the voltage is measured, and the direction of saving is implemented according to the used reactive power. Implementation results demonstrated that the designed system has a simple structure and small dimensions, it brings up the power coefficient of the system to the optimum level, it reduces the faults to minimum and also reduces the cost. With these features, it is more useful and more economical than the devices sold on the market.

Key words: Compensation, reactive power factor, microcontroller, energy savings.