Electricity rates are determined by the contract capacity with the power company. The larger the contract capacity, the higher the basic charge. However, in reality, the contracted capacity is rarely fully utilized. Therefore, many customers may be paying unnecessary electricity bills.
Our company has developed and provides an Electronic breaker product to aim for reducing our customers’ electricity costs. The Electronic breaker controls the actual current value and its duration using a CPU, so that even if power usage exceeds the specified limit, it will not be immediately cut off, and the electricity will be cut off at the appropriate timing.
Conventional breakers are called thermal-type, and they cut off electricity based on the difference in expansion rates of two types of metals. This mechanism can be affected by ambient temperature and the breaker’s own heat, causing changes in its operational characteristics. Additionally, once it is tripped, it must be manually reset. Therefore, it is necessary to set the contract capacity larger for safety considerations.
However, the Electronic breaker has an embedded CPU that measures the current value and duration flowing to the load equipment, and is programmed to allow usage up to the maximum permissible range of the JIS standard. For example, even at 150-190% of the rated current value, there is a 30-minute grace period before the breaker cuts off the current. Therefore, the contract capacity can be set to a smaller value.
By introducing the Electronic breaker, customers can review their contract capacity with the power company and reduce their basic charges.
Our company is focusing on the research and development of Electronic breakers to enable our customers to have contracts with smaller capacities. We will continue to develop the Electronic breaker and its optional functions going forward.