TABUK CITY, Kalinga – From the academe, Engr. Danilo Falgui, professor of electrical engineering at the Kalinga State University (KSU), presented three solutions to mitigate technical systems loss to lower the cost that is passed on to member-consumers.
KAELCO’s system loss, which is currently pegged at 15% or equivalent to around Php 2.7 million every month, is deemed too high. To lower it, Falgui recommended firstly to improve the electrical efficiency of consumers that use inductive load, a type of load that consumes a lot of power, such as those with rice mills and stone crushers.
He said this can be done through the installation of capacitor banks or power factor correctors “which would reduce electric bill of the electrical consumers by 20-30% while improving the power factor of the distribution system of KAELCO, thus reducing the systems loss and improving voltage deviations.”
To implement this, Vice Governor Jocel Baac said the Sangguniang Panlalawigan could pass a measure requiring consumers using inductive load to install the said devices.
Falgui’s second suggestion is the “[installation] of primary metering to the overextended distribution lines [by KAELCO so that it] can quantify the systems loss and initiate corrective measures with pinpoint accuracy.”
Thirdly, he suggested the development of a tool that would independently check KAELCO’s calculations. “KSU students will make a computer program that is tailored-fit for the KAELCO distribution line thru a research to be used to double check, verify or confirm the output of the computer program being used by KAELCO,” Falgui offered.
Falgui said the program would be developed at no cost on the KAELCO and would be an opportunity for KSU students to hone their skills.
He said the program would also be useful in anticipating future problems in KAELCO’s distribution lines so that these can be averted.
Another suggestion is to suspend taxes imposed by the provincial government. The provincial government collects franchise tax, business tax, and real property tax from the KAELCO.
While no exact figures were given as to how much it would lower charges, KAELCO’s executives said suspending taxes would have a direct effect on member-consumers’ electricity bills.
Vice Governor Baac said the provincial government would be amenable to the suggestion if it would help lower power bills but “we have to consult our Local Finance Committee first.”
The part II of the province-led Energy Summit was held on September 20, 2022 at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Session Hall. A third part is scheduled in November.