POWER CHARGES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17241, 24 April 1930, Page 11

POWER CHARGES

REDUCTION FOE A.C. USERS POSITION OF D.C. CONSUMERS Oh the recommendation of the finance committee, the Poverty Bay Power Board to-day decided to adopt new schedules of rates for radiator consumption and for industrial motors consuming a.c., under conditions laid down in the report from the committee. Somo discussion took place as to whether the revision of rates for industrial power should not apply also to the consumers of d.c, but on the casting vote- of the chairman, Mr. P. R. Ball, it was decided that d.c. consumers would not be eligible for the reductions, owing to the additional cost which tho board is involved in in maintaining the d.c. services.

The. recommendation with regard to industrial motors was that rates for a.c. should be reduced to 2fd per unit for: the first 100 units, 2Ad per unit for the next 400 units, and e rl unit for all units over 500; with an additional concession of 10 per cent, when tho power factor is maintained at not less than SO per cent, lagging. The resident engineer, Mr. YV. IT. Bnswel), was asked by members of the board to explain why the concession should not apply to d.c. consumers.

On the subject of the proposed rebate an a.c. accounts in cases where the power factor is found to be satisfactory, Mr. Buswell stated that it would mean a little extra initial cost for the consumer, in making his plant comply with the power factor requirement, but ho would reap substantial benefits. The recommendations were, discussed briefly. Mr. S. V. Beaufoy moving that the revision of rates for commercial current apply not only to a.c. but also to d.c. The board had gone to much expense in installing a rotary converter and moving the a.c. switchboard down to the floor-level at the powerhouse, ho said, and in view of the financial depression at. present, the board would do well to make the concession on rates general.

Messrs 11. If- DeCosta and M. .1. White supported this proposal, but the chairman. Mr. F. R. Ball, opposed it on the ground that the people who bad installed a.c. motors bad' done so with the promise of a differential rate. The board bad to maintain duplicate lines and additional expense, in various directions owing to the continuance of d.c. services.

"Wo should not make fish of one and flesh of another." declared Mr. T. Corson, who held that the d.c. consumers were facing considerable expense in changing over eventually. Messrs. J. Tombleson and Mr. T. Trafford supported the chairman's point of view. Mr. Ball staled that if the application of the concession was mado , general, it would he ,too costly. It would mean a loss to the hoard of Jd. per unit over the whole of its sales. The resident engineer, Mr. W. H. Buswell, stated that the loss through conversion of current from a.c. to d.c, was about 10 per rent; moreover, if the d.c. load became heavier than the rotary converter could handle, they would bo faced with the necessity ot running a d.c. engine to assist in carrying the load. A further fact was that a. great (leal of cable was in use supplying the d.c. circuits, and if those circuits were cut out, the cablo could ho taken down and used elsewhere to the saving of the board's funds. Mr. Buswell', in reply to Mr. Beaufoy, stated that there was no loss through the power factor in respect of d.c. circuits. Mr. DcCosta asked whether the board proposed to scrap the rotary converter once the d.c. circuits were eliminated. Mr. Buswell replied that the converter would always be useful in helping to break down the peak loads by the use of the present d.c. engines. On the casting vote of the chairman, Mr. Beaufoy's proposal w r as defeated, its supporters being Messrs. Beaufoy. DeCosta, White and Corson. DATE OF CHANGE-OVER

EXTENSION OF TIME SOUGHT Before the close of to-day's meeting of the board, Mr. M', .1. White tabled the following notice of motion in regard to the date and conditions of the change-over of existing d.e, motors to a.c: — "That inasmuch as the compulsory change-over from d.c. to a.c., required of the consumers of current for power purposes at a date than February, 1031, uili seriously affect financially some of tlie largest clients of the board, this board take the following stops to ascertain in what manner these clients could be met by the board: (!) That the board ascertain from its engineer whether it would be possible to continue supplying these clients with d.c. for a further period of five years, and if so at what additional cost to the .board compared with supplying them with .'i.e. only; (2) that if the possibility of supplying them with d.c. for a further period of five years is dependent on the age and state of (lie board's d.c. mains, the Public Works Department be asked to specially report to the hoard having this matter in view after its next inspection of the board's cables, as to whether they would not bo reasonably efficient and safely servo the hoard's d.c. consumers for that period; (3) that if the Public Works Department's report is adverse to the possibility of maintaining the existing d.c. mains for a further five years, the engineer be asked to submit alternative estimates (a) for the secondary a.c. reticulation required to serve the present d.c. consumers,.and (b) for the reconditioning of the .board's d.'C, mains in order that they might be used for a further five years,"