How much does it cost to leave a KVAR system on all the time?
Any costs would be related to the efficiency of the device (capacitors are some of the most coefficient devices made)and the amount of amps they demand and what losses are in the system that the amps will dissipate. Fundamentally, Amps are Amps as far as a system is concerned. Reactive or otherwise. If the KVAR does not turn off with the load as Article 460 of the NEC requests, the amps remain in the system when the motor is not running and the losses exist while the motor is not running. This can be substantial, depending on the system. In regard to panel units for a home, the most popular model typically draws around 5 amps. The losses will be 5^2 times the R of the wire, main breaker and a few other components. IF there is 200Amp or 400Amp service this loss should be very small. Some meter boxes have the kilowatt Hour meter in the box making it even smaller. Some calculations suggest it maybe between 0.1 to 0.4 kilowatt hrs a month. Obviously, it depends on the installation. How muc
