Patent ID: 8749207

Claim:
A reactive power control device for use with a power device, the power device consuming power from, and/or providing power to, an electricity distribution network when connected thereto, wherein electrical power flows in the electricity distribution network, and the power consumed from and/or provided to the electricity distribution network by the power device has different reactive power characteristics as compared to the electrical power flowing in the electricity distribution network, the reactive power control device comprising: detecting means for detecting, at the power device, a first reactive power characteristic, the first reactive power characteristic being a characteristic of electrical power flowing in the electricity distribution network, and relating to a reactive power component of electricity flowing in said electricity distribution network; determining means configured to determine, based on said detected first reactive power characteristic, whether said reactive power component of electricity flowing in said electricity distribution network is more inductive than a predefined value or whether it is more capacitive than a predefined value; and control means configured to control, on the basis of said detected first reactive power characteristic, a second reactive power characteristic, the second reactive power characteristic being a characteristic of the electricial power consumed from and/or provided to the electricity distribution network by the power device, thereby adjusting a value of said detected first reactive power characteristic, wherein the control means is configured to: control said power device to provide a capacitive contribution to the reactive power flowing in the electricity distribution network in response to a determination that the first reactive power component is more inductive than the predefined value; and control said power device to provide an inductive contribution to the reactive power flowing in the electricity distribution network in response to a determination that the first reactive power component is more capacitive than the predefined value.