Quick question for the group. We have a client in Charleston getting power factor penalties from Mon Power (FirstEnergy subsidiary) and their calculation doesn't match what I'm seeing in the tariff. Bill shows PF of 0.91 but penalty is calculated as if it's 0.84. The tariff says penalties apply when PF falls below 0.90 but they're using some kind of averaging method that isn't clearly explained. Anyone familiar with FirstEnergy's PF calculation methodology in West Virginia?
Mountaineer Gas & Electric PF penalty calculation seems wrong
Wanda, FirstEnergy typically uses the worst 15-minute interval during peak hours for PF penalties, not monthly average. Check the rate schedule appendix - it should specify measurement methodology. Here in Memphis we see similar issues with MLGW where one bad interval can skew the whole month. Request the interval data and look for demand spikes without corresponding reactive power correction.
Randy's right about the interval measurement. Georgia Power here in Savannah does the same thing - they take the worst PF reading during the billing demand window. We had a client with 0.94 average PF getting penalized because one 15-minute interval hit 0.78 during motor startup. The key is understanding exactly when and how they measure.