What is Reactive Consumption Penalty? What Businesses Need to Know

Today, energy efficiency is of great importance not only for environmental sustainability but also for cost control.

What is Reactive Consumption Penalty? What Businesses Need to Know

Today, energy efficiency is of great importance not only for environmental sustainability but also for cost control. Especially for large energy consumers such as industrial plants, factories and shopping centres, there is a concept that can lead to serious penalties when ignored: Reactive Consumption Penalty. So, what is this penalty? For whom does it apply? How can it be avoided? Let's examine it in detail.

What is Reactive Power?
Electrical energy is divided into two components, active and reactive.

• Active Power (kW): It is the power that does work, runs machines, produces light and heat.
• Reactive Power (kVAr): It is the power that enables inductive loads such as motors and transformers to operate by creating a magnetic field. It does not work but is necessary for the operation of the system.

Reactive power circulates in energy transmission lines and creates load in the network. For this reason, distribution companies do not want the reactive power to exceed a certain limit.

Why is the Reactive Consumption Penalty Applied?
Electricity distribution companies have set some limits on the reactive power rate in order to operate the network more efficiently and reduce energy losses. If these limits are exceeded, the user is charged a reactive consumption penalty.

The general limits are as follows:

·         When the contract power between 9 kW - 29,9 kW exceeds 33% reactive limit and 20% capacitive limit, a penalty is applied.

·         When the contract power exceeds the 20% reactive limit and 15% capacitive limit above 30 kW, a penalty is applied.

Exceeding these rates is included in the electricity bill as an additional penalty item and can lead to high costs over time.

Who Pay Reactive Penalty?
Generally, industrial subscribers, i.e. medium voltage users with power transformers, businesses that are obliged to install a compensation system face this penalty. Residential subscribers are not subject to penalties related to reactive consumption.

How to Prevent Reactive Penalty?
A properly designed and regularly maintained compensation system is essential to prevent reactive penalty. Here are some important steps:

1. Use of Compensation Systems:
   No unnecessary load is placed on the network with capacitor groups that balance the reactive power requirement.
2. Automatic Control Relays:
   The system prevents penalty by making automatic adjustments according to dynamic load changes.
3. Periodic Maintenance and Follow-up:
   Compensation may deteriorate due to capacitors or contactors that deteriorate over time. Therefore, regular maintenance is essential.
4. Smart Tracking Systems and Warnings:
   Thanks to the advanced measurement and monitoring solutions offered by Aha Teknoloji, reactive rates are monitored in real time and intervened before the risk of penalty occurs.

End Reactive Penalties with Aha Technology

As Aha Teknoloji, we offer special, high performance solutions for the reactive power compensation needs of businesses.

• Active Harmonic Filter (AHF)
• Static Var Generator (SVG)
• Automatic Compensation Panels
• Smart energy analysers and monitoring software

Thanks to all these technologies, you can improve your energy quality and avoid reactive penalties.

Conclusion

Reactive consumption penalty is an invisible risk factor for businesses but causes serious costs. However, it is possible to avoid these penalties with the right technology and engineering solutions. If you want to get rid of unnecessary burdens on your electricity bills, meet Aha Technology expertise.