Automatic Standby System
 

  In the event of a power outage a voltage sensor automatically turns on the generator which feeds power into your generator panel and out to the associated circuits. This is the most popular and commonly used system for home and business owners.

Generator- natural gas

  Automatic Transfer Switch-ensures that no generator power will be fed back into the public electricity grid

Generator Panel-contains the circuits that will be powered by the generator

 *this system can also be controlled manually with a manual transfer switch*

Automatic Emergency System 

 In the event of a power outage a voltage sensor automatically turns on the generator. Electricity is then fed to the generator panel and out to the associated circuits. This system is completely off the fuel grid and has its own fuel source. This system is mainly used in hospitals, government and other institutional buildings.

Generator-diesel, gasoline or liquid propane

  Transfer Switch-ensures that no generator power will be fed back into the public electricity grid 

Generator Panel-contains the circuits that will be powered by the generator

 *this type of system is also used in rural areas and in that case is usually controlled by a manual transfer switch*

Grid Tie Systems

Power is provided through solar, wind and hydroelectric. The power produced is fed through multiple inputs into a controller. Then to an inverter which synchronizes with the power from the public electricity grid. This power can be used in your home or business or fed back into the electrical grid. Depending on how much power your system produces  your electrical meter will either slow down as you use a combination of your own power and the grid's power or your meter will spin backwards resulting in a credit. This system is used in conjunction with either an Automatic Standby System or an Automatic Emergency System.

There are grants and subsidies available for alternate energy sources.           http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/corporate/incentives.cfm http://www.livesmartbc.ca/

 

UPS Systems

Usually used in offices for computers or computer servers. The UPS pack is plugged into the wall outlet, then the computer is plugged into the UPS pack. A battery system takes over when the power fails. The systems are rated according to time. 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes etc. A UPS pack will also filter and regulate the voltage output so the connected electronics have a stable voltage input. 

Generator Systems

A 1000W - 3500W portable generator can be used with extension cords in an emergency to power things like trouble lights, fans, fridges and freezers.

Never backfeed the generator power into your electrical panel. An approved transfer switch must be used. The power will flow through your panel and electrical meter then into the electrical grid. Technicians repairing the damaged power lines can be electrocuted.

 

For more information or to schedule a free estimate for any of the above power systems visit our website at http://www.pacificstarelectric.ca/index.htm

For climates with moderate heating and cooling needs, such as British Columbia, heat pumps are a more energy-efficient alternative to furnaces and air conditioners. Because of this there are significant rebates offered by both the Federal and Provincial governments.

The Provincial Government has released the rebate amounts for home improvements under the new LivesmartBC program. The rebate for an air source heat pump is $1060, or $1420 if it is installed with a furnace that has a variable speed motor. Add the $400 rebate under the Federal ecoENERGY program, and you have a total rebate of $1460-1820.

Heat pumps are often misunderstood or not understood at all. Because of this, you may not realize that there may be a better heating and cooling option than a furnace or air conditioner. A heat pump is an efficient method of cooling your home in the summer and warming it in the winter.

Although heat pumps are new to many people, they have been around for over three decades. Although its name is a little misleading, a heat pump is an efficient method of heating a home during the cold winter months and also cooling it during the hot summer months. Like your refrigerator, heat pumps use electricity to power a compressor which compresses a refrigerant gas. This process produces both heating and cooling. A heat pump looks like an air conditioner, but that’s only the outside appearance. It actually has two functions based on the same principles for both. In warm weather situations, the heat pump works as a normal air conditioner. It extracts heat from inside the home and transfers it to the outdoor air.

In colder weather, however, the process reverses, collecting heat from the outdoor air and transferring it inside your home. Even when the air outside feels extremely cold, the air still contains some heat. The heat pump pulls the heat from this cold outdoor air and sends it inside to warm your home. While many people find the winter operation of a heat pump the most difficult to understand, it is during the heating cycle that the heat pump produces the most savings. Unlike a furnace that turns fossil fuel or electricity into heat, the heat pump collects heat that already exists in the outdoor air by means of its refrigeration cycle. Consequently, a heat pump will produce up to four times more heat than the energy it uses.

In addition, a heat pump can be an effective add-on option to use in conjunction with an existing gas furnace. Heating/Cooling coils are installed at the furnace output ducting. Usually a variable speed motor is installed as well. With a dual-fuel system, the two systems share the heating load but never function at the same time. Each system operates when it is most cost effective. The heat pump will be the primary heating and cooling system. However, when the temperature drops below the heat pump’s ability to operate as efficiently as the gas furnace, the gas furnace will take over until the temperature rises enough for the heat pump to operate more efficiently.

For homes without ducts, air-source heat pumps are also available in a ductless version called a mini-split heat pump. In addition, a special type of air-source heat pump called a "reverse cycle chiller" generates hot and cold water rather than air, allowing it to be used with radiant floor heating systems in heating mode.

Higher efficiencies are achieved with geothermal (ground-source or water-source) heat pumps, which transfer heat between your house and the ground or a nearby water source. Although they cost more to install, geothermal heat pumps have low operating costs because they take advantage of relatively constant ground or water temperatures. However, the installation depends on the size of your lot, the subsoil and landscape. Ground-source or water-source heat pumps can be used in more extreme climatic conditions than air-source heat pumps.

For more information about heat pumps visit our website at  http://www.pacificstarelectric.ca/