kVAh metering: magic solution or an aberration

by Surendra Jhalora

Synopsis every year to install capacitors in the system. It is

Synopsis
The search for innovative solutions has lead to the concept of kVAh metering. seen that even after two decades of capacitor
The search for innovative solutions has lead to the concept of kVAh
Measurement of kVAh and installation programs it is found that still more
metering. Measurement of related
kVAh and tariffs aretariffs
related expected to help in
are expected reducing
to help in
reactive
reducing reactive currents in the system by commercially motivating to
currents in the system by commercially motivating consumers capacitors are required by the system. It appears as
consumers
install reactivetocompensation
install reactive compensation
at their premises. at their premises.
A changeover from Athe if the requirement that can never be fulfilled.
changeoverkWh
conventional frommetering
the conventional kWh metering
to kVAh metering to kVAh
is therefore seenmetering is a
by a few as
therefore seen by a few as a magic solution for the Indian power sector. The source of most reactive currents is the poor
magic solution for the Indian power sector. This paper examines the less
This paper examines the less visible and less magical aspects of kVAh power factor loads connected at consumer
visible and less magical aspects of kVAh metering. The paper looks at the kVAh
metering. The paper looks at the kVAh in totality by examining the premises. Each of these loads could have been
in totality by examining the commercial aspects, regulatory aspects, legal
commercial aspects, regulatory aspects, legal aspects, technical aspects
compensated by appropriate capacitor
aspects,
and the technical aspects
controversies it and the controversies
is likely to generate. The it ispaper
likelyconcludes
to generate. The
that
installations, had the brunt of capacitor
paper
thereconcludes that there
is an aberration is an
in the aberration
concept in the
of kVAh concept
metering andofakVAh metering
changeover
to akVAh metering installation shifted from Utilities to end-
and changeover to will
kVAhnot bring real
metering willbenefits
not bring butreal
cause unnecessary
benefits but cause
expense to expense
unsuspecting consumersconsumers
and distribution utilities. utilities. consumers. This is not happening today because
unnecessary to unsuspecting and distribution
there is no commercial inducement for consumers

Introduction to care for the reactive energy drawl by them. Many

The advent of electronics has opened new avenues for creative thinkers and countries have legislation that prevents electrical

manufacturers to invent innovative metering solutions for the power sector. equipment and devices with low power factors

This is evident from electronic meters, which are now available with a host of from being sold.

load survey and tamper recording features. Innovative thinking leads us to

Introduction of kVAh metering and kVAh tariffs is
conceptual issues as well to imagine metering solutions, overlooking basic
therefore seen as a commercial inducement on
electrical concepts and ignoring legal, commercial and practical aspects.
consumers to ensure a smaller electricity bill by

It is important that new concepts are carefully examined from a totality. One ensuring that they do not draw reactive power. It is

such new concept sweeping the length and breadth of this country is kVAh imagined that these consumers will in turn

metering. purchase electrical devices with power factor

correctors, or install capacitors at their premises.

kVAh metering
If this is achieved, it is easy to see how a large
kVAh metering is a concept mooted to replace the conventional kWh metering.
amount of precious energy will be saved due to
It suggests that consumers must be billed as per the kVAh (apparent energy)
reduction of technical loss in the system due
drawl, and not as per the kWh (active energy). Implementation of the concept
accrued from a reduction in reactive currents. It is
will mean that at each consumer premise a new type of meter will have to be
also easy to see imagine a large amount of money
installed, one which records kVAh.
will be saved by utilities, who need not invest
money for capacitors for compensation or voltage
A magic solution
improvement. It is easy to see imagine how
It is all too well known that abnormal voltages, typically low voltages, plague
changing over from kWh metering to kVAh
distribution systems in India. Reactive power flows in the network cause a
metering will bring about a nation wide revolution
reactive drag in the inter-connected transmission system and reduce the
in energy efficiency, and therefore this appears to
system stability. This in turn requires a reactive compensation in the system.
be a magic solution for the country.
The transmission and distribution utilities invest a large amount of money

Page 1 of 6
Fundamentals of commercial measurement
The fundamentals of any commercial measurement are, measurement of the
commodity being sold (i) in a transparent manner (ii) using a controversy-free
and accurate measurement tool. For electricity, the commodity being sold is
active energy (kWh).
This commodity (active electrical energy) is generated from non-electrical
energy resources (like coal, gas, renewable energy sources etc.) by electrical
generators and purchased by end consumers to be used for operating
electrical devices to do mechanical work , heating, lighting etc for them. The
distribution companies are transporters of this electrical energy and therefore
bill the consumers as per energy consumed by each consumer. This is the
arrangement today, and that is why the kWh metering has been accepted as the
proper measurement tool.
Apparent energy, which is kVAh, contains a component called reactive energy
(kVArh) whose generation is not directly related to conversion of energy
resources. This reactive energy component may be necessary to support
delivery of active energy, but it is not useful to the end consumer for conversion
to any active work or output. Hence it may be said that apparent energy (kVAh)
is not a commodity that the user wants to use and nor it is a commodity that
transporters (i.e. distribution companies) transfer from generating stations.
To have commercial measurements and tariffs solely based on such a
commodity (kVAh) is simply irrelevant.
Electricity is metered to meet two objectives (i) To account for active energy
transmittals, that is, energy accounting (ii) For commercial metering, that is,
to make a consumer pay for the electricity he or she has consumed. There
needs to be accounting at every stage, and hence kWh is accounted for, right
from the generating stations, through the transmission and distribution lines,
and as delivered to end consumers, through the present kWh meters. All this is
not possible if kVAh meters were used.
Accounting of kVAh is not possible in any scale, as all “apparent energies” do
not add to give the “total apparent energy”. More so, sum of three apparent
energies in each of the three phases does not add up to give the three phase
apparent energy. This exposes the vulnerability of the term “apparent energy”
which is nothing more than electrical engineers' “jargon” rather than a
definable energy tariff parameter in the scientific lexicon, which can be legally
used for tariff purposes. Remember the law of conservation in physics governs
“energy” where all input energies must add up to be equal to the sum of output
energies and losses.
The kWh metering presently in use provides the mechanism to monitor the
quantum of energy purchased and sold, so that (i) the distribution utility can
maintain an account for the energy it has purchased, sold and lost, and (ii)
fair tariffs can be formulated with allowances for losses and fixed
charges/overheads. A change to kVAh disturbs these objectives without giving
any great over-riding advantages.
Page 2 of 6
kVAh tariffs are never equitable
Reactive power (and resultant reactive energy
which is a component of apparent energy) is a
locally generated phenomena. It is a necessity for
flow of electricity in any system, but not something
that is generated by generators and transferred
over the lines to end consumers. The kVAh drawl by
a consumer for the same connected load will vary
depending on the voltage at consumer premises. As
voltage at which power is delivered to consumers is
under control of the distribution company and not
consumers, it is unethical and unequitable to bill
consumers as per their kVAh drawl. Well, kWh
drawl by consumers are also affected by voltages,
but a consumer does not have to “adjust” or
“compensate” his consumption when voltages are
poor and still land himself or herself at a financial
disadvantage.
Reactive power is necessary to support the voltage
of the system, and uncontrolled use of reactive
power adversely affects the system voltage. Though
reactive power cannot strictly be called a saleable
commodity, its over-drawl (or over-use) can at
times be seen as a “violation” by the consumer.
Hence it is appropriate to view poor power factor as
a “violation” and not as a “consumption”. As this is
not a “consumption”, there is no justification to
base tariffs on apparent energy. A penalty can at
best be levied for any violation. It is therefore
inappropriate to replace the tariff for the
commodity being sold (kWh) with a tariff for kVAh
just because we want to deter violations.
AA poor
poor power
power factorfactor
penaltypenalty
(or demand(or overshoot)
demand
isovershoot) is more than
more appropriate appropriate than kVAh
kVAh based tariffs
based tariffs because penalties generally
because penalties generally have two very have
fair
two very fair components (i) a limit for which
components (i) a limit for which there is no penalty
there is no penalty – a warning factor (ii) a
– a warning factor (ii) a penalty for violations
penalty for violations beyond the allowable
beyond the allowable limit – that is a penal
limit – that is a penal component. A kVAh tariff
component. A kVAh tariff on the other hand does
on the other hand does not give any allowable
not give any allowable limit as a warning. It
limit as a warning. It operates like Shylock,
operates like Shylock, demanding its pound of
demanding its pound of flesh for every single
flesh for every single moment of drawl beyond the
moment of drawl beyond the almost
almost “impossible to maintain” magic figure of a
“impossible to maintain” magic figure of a
perfect unity power factor.
perfect unity power factor.
Once kVAh tariffs are in place, excessive reactive
drawls can no longer be considered as a violation.
Consumers who do not care to reduce their reactive
drawls will have no qualm paying a little more. They may leave their capacitors In case the kVAh tariff is implemented, there will be
connected during off peak hours and force the voltage to increase at night only a few consumers who understand power
hours affecting the system and other consumers connected to the system. It is factor. Maybe, these few will try to economize on
equally possible that consumers may not connect capacitors at all and draw kVAh drawls. It is for sure that the majority will find
reactive power heavily from the system pulling down voltages. kVAh hard to comprehend. In the Indian scenario
where we cannot educate consumers to save
And, who suffers ? The commercially conscious consumer who invests to electricity and conserve energy, how can we
compensate his loads perfectly, is the sufferer. He spends money to install educate them kVAh management. In a scenario
switched capacitors so that he may not pay higher kVAh bills. Yet he is forced where we are plagued with abnormally high losses
to consume a higher kVAh because he can never maintain his power factor at (mostly non technical) of more than 50%, it looks
unity, simply because the distribution utility cannot maintain the voltage at too out of place to ignore these problems and be
his supply point. That happens because the power factors of loads are bothered about changing the commercial metering
influenced by voltage. from kWh meters to kVAh meters at a phenomenal
cost to the exchequer, just to save maybe 1% or so of
Reactive drawl or injection can be useful depending on the prevailing voltage energy.
conditions. When the voltage is low a reactive injection helps the system;
when the voltage is high a reactive drawl helps the system. The kVAh tariff does Is there clarity and consistency in
not encourage this to happen.
principles of kvah measurements
For these and many more reasons, kVAh tariffs can never be considered fair or It is necessary that consumers are educated on
equitable for either consumer or the utility. A deeper thought will explain why what kVAh metering means, its benefits and how it
the kVAh tariff will not be much useful for the utility as well once we will be put in use. It is the duty of the promoters of
understand whether it will deter poor power factors and whether the power kVAh metering to explain how kVAh is defined and
factor problem is really that serious. how it can be measured in an unambiguous
manner. That is because there is little clarity and
much disagreement on even the definitions of
WillKvah
Will Kvahtariff
tariffprovide
provideaacommercial
commercialdeterrent
deterrentfor
forpoor
poorpfpf
kVAh. Unlike kWh, for which there is little
Yes.kVAh
Yes. kVAhtariffs
tariffswill
will always
always tendtend to
to provide
provide aacommercial
commercialdisincentive
disincentivefor for argument or debate, there are different ways of
reactiveindiscipline
reactive indisciplinefor foraafew
few consumers,
consumers, but but just
just aaminiscule
minisculefew fewwho
whocan can measuring kVAh, each of which will lead to a
understandthe
understand theconcept
conceptof ofPFPF and
and have
have intention
intention to tokeep
keeptheir
theirbills
billsunder
under differing value.
control. The habits of the masses are more likely to remain unaffected.The
control. The habits of the masses are more likely to remain unaffected. The
average
average consumer,
consumer, who
who might
might intend
intend to control
to control hisalso
his PF PF also
would would
not benot beto
able Is kVAh the Pythagorous sum of kW and kVAr
doable tohe
so as dohas
so as
nohe has no
means of means of monitoring
monitoring what his
what his power power
factor factor
is. An is. Anof
example integrated over time, or is kVAh a product of root
example of problems that may be encountered, in case
problems that may be encountered, in case a change over is planned from kWh a change over is
mean square voltage and current integrated over
toplanned
kVAh, may frombekWh
seen tofromkVAh, may be seen
the example from thelinked
of frequency example of frequency
availability tariffs time. These different methods would give different
linked availability tariffs – an ideal example of
– an ideal example of providing commercial signals for a disciplined providing commercial inter results in case of unbalanced loading in three
signals for a disciplined
utility operation. inter utility operation.
phase systems.

In availability tariffs, maintenance of MW drawl schedules, generation How does one define the RMS value for kVA, and
schedules, drawls from the grid etc. are to be paid based on pre-decided how do we treat harmonics. How do we define and
contracts. The deviation from schedules is to be measured and charged at rates distinguish between “fundamental” and
which are related to the incremental cost of generation in the system, such “harmonic” for kVAh. What kVAh value must be
incremental cost being determined from the grid frequency. So perfect and measured, and what must be the measurement
simple a proposition, but so hard to gain unanimous acceptability. It may be principles. How do we test for metrology and which
noted that here also, the stress (or commercial deterrent) is based on kWh and standards to follow.
not kVAh. The voltage linked reactive drawls (in the proposed inter-utility
tariffs) are more in nature of a penalty than a tariff. What happens when one phase draws a lagging
current (say 0.5 lag), the second phase draws a
The availability tariffs has not found unanimous acceptance with just a few leading current (say 0.5 lead) and the third phase
Indian power utilities, in spite of it being based on sound techno-commercial draws a current at unity power factor. How do we
principles. If this be the case with just a few utilities, how do we expect measure the kVAh for a three phase with
millions of end consumers to accept a change-over to a clearly faulty kVAh unbalanced power factors using 3 phase 3 wire
metering and tariff system. measurements. The kVAh itself is shrouded with

Page 3 of 6
ambiguity and inconsistency, at least for the majority of power sector There is also no unanimity as to whether kVAh
engineers. Educating consumers on such aspects will always remain a far cry. computed must consider lagging kVArh alone or
both lag and lead kVArh. Different engineers
One might be inclined to think that it is easy to define “any one” principle as suggest different methods. Some engineers suggest
the correct – but this proposition is beset with problems as there are serious that kVAh is to be computed considering only the
inconsistencies that such measurements may have. Take for example the lag value of kVArh. Others insist that both the lag
following: and lead values are to be considered. In the former
method any leading power factor is considered as
1. While active energy is a vector quantity, it has a direction and can be unity. As the debate rages, no unanimity seems to
conveniently added, the apparent energy is a scalar quantity and can not be in sight and unless a decision is reached no
be added under varying PF conditions. This will lead to varying bills by kVAh tariff can be implemented.
two otherwise perfectly legal apparent meters, just because their
integration periods were different !!! Let us not be carried away with definitions issues
alone. Definitions may be sorted out in course of
2. A windmill that generates active energy and draws reactive from the time, technically compromised or even mutually
system, it will get more money for drawing more reactive energy from the agreed. It is not only these definitions but other
system !! important issues as well, like commercial and legal
issues, the financial repercussions, ethical issues,
3. Many people take recourse to the IEEE study group's definition of practical issues, whether at all there is a dire
apparent energy, not withstanding the fact that these definitions were necessity for a change, and issues relating to
evolved with the intention of measuring pollution and determining impossibility of energy accounting etc. that taken
factors for penalizing pollution rather than defining “energy supply together warns us against any change from kWh to
tariff” based on them. The IEEE definition for apparent power is : kVAh. Surely, the changeover is going to have a
phenomenal impact on a number of such aspects,
S2 = (VI) 2 = (Vf + Vh) 2 * (If +Ih) 2 = (Vf x If) 2 + (Vf x Ih) 2 + (Vh x If) 2 + (Vh x Ih) 2 and that is why we must treat with utmost care.

Where kWhversus
kWh versuskVAh
kVAh
Whena consumer
When a consumerpayspays for electricity,
for electricity, the
the effective
Vf =Vfundamental Vh =Vharmonic effective electricity
electricity rate he
rate he pays pays comprise
comprise of three of
If = Ifundamental Ih =Iharmonic three components,
components, which
which may notmay not be in
be visible visible in
the final
the final
unitary unitary
tariffs. tariffs.
These These components
components are are

It then goes on to define a fundamental apparent power “ Sf ” and a non Ÿ Energy purchased from the generating stations
fundamental power “ Sn ” as follows: or grid (kWh)
Ÿ Energy loss incurred by the distribution utility
S f = V f x I f, the product of the fundamental components of the voltage and (kWh)
current. Ÿ Annual charges for the distribution system (this
Sn = {(V f x Ih) 2 + (Vh x If) 2 + (Vh x Ih) 2 } includes ROE, O&M etc.)

The last part (annual charges) are linked to the

Sn/Sf being considered the ideal figure of merit for determining harmonic
system kVA capacity. This kVA capacity determines
pollution and penalizing.
the total demand that can be sanctioned to
consumers (after considering appropriate diversity
It is not difficult to see from this analysis that if a consumer is consuming unity
factor).
power factor load and purely sinusoidal current, presence of harmonics in
voltage itself increases his apparent energy consumption. As concepts remain That is why it is appropriate to have a tariff based on
hazy, it shall be hard for most manufacturers (barring just a few market leaders kWh and not on kVAh. Exceeding the sanctioned
of electronic meters of today), to comprehend technical requirements and kVA demand value means that the system is
manufacture suitable kVAh meters. utilized beyond its design. This should invite a
penalty as is already the case in most tariffs, and
So, can kVAh be computed by the multiplication of the RMS values of Voltage not legitimized through a kVAh tariff. This penalty
and Current. As emphasized above, the issues of power factor and kVAh under can, if necessary, be extended to domestic sector as
harmonic conditions will have to be kept in view and there is no clear solution well and this will appropriately address the poor
to the problem. If so, how do we define kVAh under harmonics? power factor problem.

Page 4 of 6
There is one more aspect, particularly in end consumer tariffs, and that is cross
compensation in tariffs between two or more consumer categories. This
aspect needs to be kept in consideration while examining the viability of kVAh
metering. The cross compensation can be worked out only if the exact
quantity of energy consumed by each category is known. In case the meters of
all consumers were to be changed from kWh to kVAh it will be difficult to work
out cross subsidies in a transparent manner.
Imagine a scenario where consumer meters do not register any active energy.
For such a scenario it would become impossible to account for energy and loss
in the system, particularly the loss in the “highly-loss-prone” LT system. It
would also become difficult to arrive at reasonable figures for cross
compensation in tariffs as energy delivered to each category of consumers
cannot be determined in an unambiguous manner.
One of the foremost problems of our power supply and distribution system is
losses. In order to address this problem, we have to resort to energy accounting
at every level. Introduction of a kVAh based metering scheme will completely
seal the possibility of energy accounting by conventional methods.
Why penalties and not kvah metering
There are two things catered for by the distribution utility (i) capacity (ii)
energy. Every consumer is sanctioned a particular capacity based on which the
distribution system has been constructed. Violation of the capacity is an
offence on the design of the system, and hence deserves a penalty, like demand
over-shoot penalties. The consumer is expected to draw electricity within the
sanctioned demand limit, and a kWh metering is appropriate to measure his
drawl.
stations with long transmission lines have to
operate at leading power factors often sacrificing
their stability. If at all kVAh is to be paid in form of
tariffs, will at all the distribution utilities agree to
pay generating stations based on their reactive
generation. In the other extreme, if at all kVAh
tariffs were applicable for generating stations, they
would possibly be too happy to save their coal
consumption and raise bills on distribution
utilities based on kVAh delivered. In proposed
inter-utility tariffs there is a penal component
linked to reactive drawls which is linked to
voltages, with a band of voltage for which there is
no reactive energy penalty. However, a kVAh
metering has no such band. How can we have
double standards, one between the generating
companies and distributors, and other between
distributors and end consumers. How do we deal
with end consumers who are directly supplied
power from generating companies needs also to be
kept in consideration. That is why kVAh metering
will sooner or later lead to controversies and
serious commercial aberrations.
In case poor power factors are becoming a problem,
a rational approach is to introduce a well judged,
voltage linked penalties for poor power factors
rather than have kVAh tariffs.

kVAh
kVAhmetering
meteringon onthe
theother
other hand
hand is a measuring
measuring system
system which
whichgives
givesa a A legal aspect – not to be overlooked
commercial
commercial warning
warning totoconsumers
consumerstotouseuseelectricity
electricityatatunity
unitypower
powerfactor.
factor. It There may be a legal angle in case kVAh tariffs are
It does
does not directly
not directly measure
measure the electricity
the electricity consumed
consumed by consumers.
by consumers. It is
It is never introduced. A distribution utility cannot charge for
the case anywhere in the world that all electrical devices are supposed to are
never the case anywhere in the world that all electrical devices have something it has not generated or purchased. The
a supposed
unity powerto have a unity
factor. It ispower
not factor.
deniedIt that
is notelectrical
denied that electrical
devices need kVAh neither represents the “value of supply”, as
devices need compensation. But kVAh metering tends to imply that
compensation. But kVAh metering tends to imply that consumers are to have a required by the Act nor does it represent any
consumers are to have a perfect compensation. This as such is not only an
perfect compensation. This as such is not only an anti-customer but “energy”. In case kVAh metering is proposed, it is
anti-customer but impractical proposition. This puts forth a technical
impractical
condition proposition. This puts
which the unaware forth amasses
common technical
justcondition which or
cannot fathom the easy to visualize how the Regulatory Commission
unaware common masses just cannot fathom or comply, however
comply, however good their intention may be. Hence it is both unethical good their might view the concept and react to it.
intention may be. Hence it is both unethical and anti-customer.
and anti-customer.
A second legal aspect shall be controversy in the
It is also anti-customer because it implies that the distribution utility technical method in which kVAh is to be measured.
commercially denies the customer the right to freely draw electricity (within Addressing all these is not an easy task.
his sanctioned limit). It is fair to tell the customer not to draw power at poor
power factors and even penalize violations, but it is not in line with fair kVAh metering may lead to abnormal
business ethics to have a commercial system in place, which the customer just
voltages in the system
cannot put in practice for his best benefit.
kVAh metering and tariffs shall tend to legitimize
reactive drawls and may lead to an uncontrollable
Why not look at a similar issue facing the distribution companies, who in turn
voltage situation and high loss in the distribution
are customers of generating companies. The distribution companies often ask
system.
(at times demand) the load centre generating stations to supply VARs, for
which they do not pay. The generating stations in turn sacrifice their active
There will always be consumers who care too little
generation to generate VARs to meet the reactive demand in the grid. Pit head
about power factors and higher energy bills. There

Page 5 of 6
will be a few consumers who may connect fixed capacitors causing high
voltage in the system, affecting all other consumers. There may be a few
consumers who care too little and draw high reactive currents causing poor
voltage in the system. kVAh metering can do little to deter such consumers,
other than bill them a bit more.
per legal metrology norms. Again there is no
standard definition and no standard equipment to
test and measure kVAh available today. Such an
equipment will have to be qualified as per the
norms of kVAh measurement set herewith.

How serious is the problem we want to tackle We have all seen how the present 100% metering
kVAh metering is targeted to improve the reactive current flow in the Indian drive is far from completion. If all meters were to be
distribution systems. It is worth examining how wide-spread or serious is this replaced to kVAh meters we can well imagine how
problem. time taking it will be to change/replace all meters
(which is far more in numbers than that covered
Those who have experience on transmission systems will know that the under 100% metering drive).
transmission lines carry a substantial reactive current. This is fortunately not
the case for most radially operated distribution feeders. Our study shows that If at all this is so difficult a transition, if at all it will
for a good number of distribution feeders we have selected at random from mean such a huge investment, if at all there is so
different parts of the country, the power factor is better than 0.9 lag !. A surprise much of technical ambiguity, if at all the kVAh
finding indeed, indicating that there may be a few only with ailment that need system is neither legally or commercially sound,
the kVAh metering medicine . and if the very ailment which kVAh professes to
address is not that wide-spread, kVAh metering is
We have also seen that most semi-urban and rural domestic loads in India have simply not a practical proposition.
a good power factor. We have observed that voltage drops in distribution
feeders are caused by long lines of low conductor sizes and not due to high Conclusion
Conclusion
reactive power flow. It needs to be recognized that distribution lines have a We need not imagine from where this huge sum of
We need not imagine from where this huge sum
high resistance, and that in Indian conditions we come across HT:LT ratios of capital for changing
of capital for changingkWh kWh
meters to kVAh
meters meters
to kVAh
1:5 and 1:6. Our problem lies there, and the priority lies in improving such will comewill
meters from.
come Wefrom.
needWenotneed
comment whether
not comment
systems, not in planning to introduce kVAh tariffs. such a huge sum of money could
whether such a huge sum of money could have have been
gainfully utilizedutilized
been gainfully for other purposes
for other and and
purposes more
Rural feeders are the only ones which may have a power factor of 0.8 or less. important
more important improvement of the powerAs
improvement of the power sector.
More than 35% of the energy is consumed by this sector, and this is a sector sector. As manufacturers
manufacturers of energy
of energy meters, all wemeters,
see hereall
is a
where kVAh metering could have possibly helped (other feeders have too good we seeofhere
bounty is a bounty
business of business
opportunity for usopportunity
and we see it
a power factor). In the rural sector, with highly subsidized agriculture tariffs, asfor
anus and we see
opportunity toitmake
as anmoney
opportunity
if at all to make
this kVAh
what sense will a kVAh meter make. money if
metering at all is
concept this kVAh metering concept is
implemented.
implemented.
Possibly the problem of high reactive loss has been over-imagined, which has But as citizens of this country we also see this as an
lead the thinkers to think of kVAh metering. It is believed that technical loss in But as citizens
unnecessary andof technically
this countryincorrect
we also see this as
move. We
an unnecessary and technically incorrect move.
Indian distribution systems are very high. Yes, they are high compared to other see this as an inappropriate method to address a
We see this as an inappropriate method to
countries, but much less than common perceptions about it. We have made problem, and we can see how much it will cost this
address a problem, and we can see how much it
technical loss studies throughout the country and we can separately tell you poor country. As market leaders in metering in
will cost this poor country. As market leaders in
what the range of losses are. We have observations to indicate that even if India, all weinsuggest
metering India, is,
allthe
wekVAh metering
suggest is, themay
kVAhbe a
reactive drawls are reduced, the saving in energy will be barely noticeable. great idea, but seriously aberrated both
metering may be a great idea, but seriously technically
and commercially,
aberrated and against
both technically and all conceivable
commercially,
There are many more avenues where energy can be saved with relatively little technical and commercial
and against intereststechnical
all conceivable of consumers,
and
investment. kVAh metering is not the magic solution. utilities and theinterests
commercial country. of consumers, utilities
and the country.
How practical is the kvah proposition
Notwithstanding all the above problems, even if it is finally decided that the
country must shift over from the kWh system to the kVAh system of metering, it
is easy to see that thousands of crores of rupees will be required for the
transition. A part-transition will not do; it has to be a complete changeover as
tariffs itself will need to be changed – not at all an easy proposition.

Since kVAh meters will be tariff metering devices they will have to be tested as

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