DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY UTILIZATION MANAGEMENT BUREAU

Micro-hydropower Operator Training Manual

May 2009

MHP – 5

This manual was developed by the Department of Energy (DOE) through the technical assistance under the Project on “Sustainability Improvement of Renewable Energy Development for Village Electrification in the Philippines” which was provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Table of Contents

1. General ................................................................................................................ 1

2. Scope ................................................................................................................... 1

3. Objectives ............................................................................................................ 1

4. Roles of Operators ............................................................................................... 1

5. Operation Work ................................................................................................... 2

5.1 Intent of Operation ............................................................................................ 2

5.2 Basic operation .................................................................................................. 2

5.3 Operations in the Event of an Emergency .......................................................... 5

5.4 Others (other types of operation) ....................................................................... 6

6. Patrol ................................................................................................................... 7

6.1 Patrol for hydropower stations........................................................................... 7

6.2 Daily patrol items .............................................................................................. 9

7. Maintenance....................................................................................................... 10

7.1 Breakdown and Preventive Maintenance ......................................................... 10

7.2 Daily Maintenance........................................................................................... 11

7.3 Maintenance for the trouble and failure ........................................................... 11

7.4 Periodic Maintenance ...................................................................................... 12

8. Recording........................................................................................................... 12

9. ‘Model Training Schedule’ for the training of new operators ............................ 12

10. Amendment of the manual ................................................................................. 13

LIST OF ANNEXES

ANNEX 1 : Check sheet

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1. General Micro-hydropower plants for rural electrification should be operated and

maintained by well-trained operators to ensure a stable supply of electricity to

electrified communities. This manual specifies operator-training concepts that are to

be put into practice at the project site prior to the handing over of the facilities.

Specific contents of the actual training, therefore, shall be adequately reviewed to

meet the practical conditions of which this manual will serve as a reference.

2. Scope This manual shall be used as instructional material for DOE staff and/or designated

implementers who have been assigned to conduct operator training.

3. Objectives The objectives of this manual are:

(1) To identify the roles and responsibilities that operators should undergo in order

to properly operate and maintain micro-hydropower plants, and

(2) To assist the project implementer in preparing operation and maintenance

manuals for newly constructed micro-hydropower plants.

4. Roles of Operators Micro-hydropower plants must be operated and maintained in strict compliance

with O & M (Operation and Maintenance). In general, operators of micro hydropower

plants should understand the following items:

(1) Operators must efficiently conduct O & M of micro-hydropower plants in strict

compliance with the rules and regulations.

(2) Operators must familiarize themselves with all plant components and their

respective performance or functions. Furthermore, they should also be familiar

with prompt recovery emergency measures should an accident occur.

(3) Operators must always check the condition of facilities and equipment. If

trouble is found or an accident occurs, they must inform the person in charge

and try to solve the problem.

(4) Operators must try to prevent any accidents. Preventative measures such as

equipment repair and the improvement of the facilities should be implemented

as necessary.

(5) An operation and maintenance manual should be prepared for each plant before

the start of its operation.

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5. Operation Work The operation of micro-hydropower plants is to not only generate electric power,

but also to control generation equipment, supply stable, high quality electricity to

consumers, and maintain the condition of all facilities.

Most rural electrification micro-hydro plants are not equipped with suitable automatic

control systems and protection equipment due to budget constraints. Therefore, it is

necessary for operators to stay at or near the plant to monitor control equipment and to

undertake immediate measures in the case of an emergency.

5.1 Intent of Operation

Hydropower station operators should be highly motivated to keep their power

stations in good condition to ensure a stable supply of electric power. Operators

should be aware of any signs and/or signals indicating equipment malfunction and

take advance preventative measures. Examples of the intention of operation are listed

below.

(1) Familiarize oneself with operation-related regulations, rules, and manuals of

the power station, distribution lines, and loads.

(2) Familiarize oneself with the civil structures, electric circuits, control system,

etc. of the power station in detail.

(3) Grasp the operational conditions of the power station

(4) Maintain highly efficient operations.

(5) Avoid abnormal operation (e.g. low output operation) because of damage to

water turbines by large vibrations, cavitation damages, etc.

(6) Check and maintain a grasp of the equipment conditions via periodic and

methodic patrolling of the power station.

(7) Compare and contrast past recorded data with present data to confirm the

equipment conditions.

5.2 Basic operation

(1) Pre-operational Check points

Before operation commences, the following facilities and equipment must be

checked by operators to ensure that they are in proper operating condition.

Especially for long-term operation, it is of particular importance that these items are

checked thoroughly.

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a. Transmission and distribution lines

(a) Line and pole damage

(b) Nearby branches

(c) Other obstacles

b. Waterway facilities

(a) Structural damage

(b) Sand sedimentation in front of the intake

(c) Suspended trash at the screens

(d) Sand sedimentation in the settling basin and the forebay

c. Turbine, generator, and controller

(a) Visual inspection

(b) Wear of the brush

(c) Insulation resistance of the circuits

(2) Starting operation

Start-up of operation is as follows (typical example):

(a. Preparation)

(a-1) Close the flushing gate of the intake weir

(a-2) Open the intake gate and intake water into the waterway system.

(b. Starting operation)

(b-1) Open the inlet valve gradually.

(b-2) If there is a guide vane, open the inlet valve fully, and then open the guide

vane gradually.

(b-3) Use a controller (e.g. ELC) if one exists. Confirm that voltage and frequency

or rotating speed increase up to the regulated value by guide vane (or inlet

valve).

(b-4) Turn the load switch on (parallel in).

(b-5) Control the inlet valve or guide vane so that voltage and frequency are within

the regulated range.

The start-up procedure is designed based on the equipment at each power station.

Based on the knowledge of each machine, it is important to understand the logic

behind these steps.

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Prior to starting operation of the main units, the following conditions have to be

generally kept. These conditions are called the ‘Preparation for operation’.

(a-1)(a-2) Close the flushing gate of the intake weir and open the intake gate and

intake water into the waterway system.

The water turbine is driven by water from the waterway system. If the water flow

is shut off by the intake gate or valve, water cannot be fed to the water turbine. In

situations where the ability to close the intake gate (or valve) is limited, the water

remaining in the penstock flows down by the force of its own weight after the

opening of the inlet valve (and guide vane), but supplemental air cannot go into the

penstock. This lowers the pressure within the penstock. In the worst case scenario,

the build up of air pressure breaks the penstock.

(a-3) Others

(a-3-1) Bearing lubricant condition

Bearings are delicate parts that maintain stable operation of the units. Periodic

application of grease is important for stable and long-term use of the bearings

and main units. When lubrication of bearings is insufficient for operations, this

means that the bearings have burned out and must be replaced.

(a-3-2) Cooling water of dummy load for ELC

Generator frequency output is controlled by the ELC. The ELC uses a dummy

load (a resistance unit) to consume electric power over the necessary load

supply at that time. If the dummy load is cooled by water, operators should

confirm the water level of the dummy load before operation begins. (The

typical cooling methods of dummy loads are water cooling and air cooling.)

(a-3-3) Protection relays for emergency stop are not activated

When a series of failures occurs in the units, protection relays (and automatic

cut-off by circuit breakers) are activated for an emergency shutdown of the

units. Once the failures are corrected, they can be manually reset by the

operators.

The excitation current of the AVR system increases the terminal voltage of the

generator. When it reaches its approximate rated voltage (and frequency or rotation

speed reaches its rated value), operators turn on the load switch (generator circuit

breaker) to connect the generator to the transmission (distribution) lines.

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(3) Roles of Operators during Operation

Operators must maintain control over the equipment so that the supply of quality

electricity may be realized in order to maintain equipment conditions and ensure

safety factors as follows:

(c-1) Control the inlet valve or guide vane so that voltage and frequency are within

their regulated range.

(c-2) Check for equipment and noise vibration, and stop operations if necessary.

(c-3) Check the temperature of the equipment.

(c-4) Check the equipment conditions. Stop operation and apply the appropriate

countermeasures if necessary.

(c-5) Record operation results and equipment condition

(4) Stopping Operation

In order to avoid longer runaway speed of the turbine and the generator, the

procedures for stopping operation are as follows:

(d-1) Close the inlet valve or the guide vane.

(d-2) Cut load switch off (load rejection).

(d-3) Close the inlet valve and the guide vane completely.

(d-4) Close the intake gate.

If the load is suddenly cut due to an accident, the operator must close the inlet

valve or the guide vane immediately to avoid prolonged periods of the runaway

speed of the turbine and the generator.

5.3 Operations in the Event of an Emergency

(1) Flood Conditions

In general, micro-hydropower plants can operate even during flood conditions.

However, when the river becomes muddy leading to a possibility of sand and/or soil

intrusion into the facilities, plant operations should be stopped by closing the intake

gate. After the floodwater recedes, operators must inspect all facilities prior to

resuming operation.

(2) Earthquake

Operators must inspect all facilities after a big earthquake as follows:

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・ Structural damage

・ Misalignment of the turbine and the generator shaft

・ Damage of the other electrical equipment

・ Others

(2) Water Shortage / Drought Conditions

Micro-hydropower plants should basically be designed in accordance with the

amount of water discharge in the dry season. However, in the case of drought

conditions, operators must stop operation to prevent turbine damage.

(4) Accidents (Troubles)

When accidents occur, operators must stop operation, investigate the cause, and

then try to recover operation as soon as possible. An operator’s roles are as follows:

(a) Immediately inform the person in charge of the accident.

(b) Investigate the details of the accident.

(c) Investigate the causes of the accident.

(d) Recover operation as soon as possible if operators can determine the causes and

perform the necessary repairs by themselves.

(e) Contact technical advisors, manufacturers, or equipment suppliers and request

them to perform the repair(s) if the operators cannot discover the cause(s) and/or

cannot perform the repair(s) by themselves.

Preparations that operators should make in advance are as follows:

(a) Discuss possible countermeasures for the trouble with technical advisors,

manufacturers or equipment suppliers.

(b) Report the accidents to the DOE and LGU.

5.4 Others (other types of operation)

(1) Filling of the waterway system

Filling procedures for the waterway system are as follows:

(a) Confirm that all flushing gates and valves of the water system are open.

(b) Open the intake gate partially and input a small volume of water.

(c) Close the flushing gate of the settling basin after cleaning the settling basin.

(d) Close the flushing gate of the forebay after cleaning the headrace and the

forebay.

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(e) Close the drain valve of the penstock after cleaning the penstock.

(f) Fill the penstock with water gradually.

(g) Open the intake gate fully after filling up the penstock.

(2) Flushing sand in front of the intake

If sand sedimentation reaches the intake level, sand will be carried into the

waterway system and affect the penstock and turbine blades. Therefore, in order to

prepare against an outflow of sand and soil during flooding, operators must keep the

intake approach open. For this purpose, operators should sometimes flush or remove

the sand that has settled in front of the intake.

If a flushing gate is installed at the intake weir, operators can flush sand out using

the water flow by opening the gate during flooding. However, if not equipped with

a flushing gate, operators must manually remove the sand from the weir.

(3) Control of intake water

The volume of intake water changes according to the water level of the river.

Normally excess water should be released into the spillway, which is located at the

settling basin or headrace. If excess water reaches the spillway of the forebay for a

long period of time, it may possibly wash out the structure due to a lack of spillway

capacity. Therefore, operators must control the intake gate so as to avoid excessive

water spillage.

6. Patrol Operators patrol the waterway facilities, electric equipment, and transmission and

distribution lines on a daily basis in order to confirm that they are in proper working

order. Operators must record the results of the patrol and take countermeasures if any

troubles should occur.

In this manual, the definition of ‘patrol’ means to conduct a visual inspection of the

hydropower station and confirm the condition of the equipment, the facilities, and the

surrounding areas.

6.1 Patrol for hydropower stations

For the prevention of failures and faults in hydropower stations and to ensure

appropriate operation and maintenance, patrols should be conducted as described

below.

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a. Types of patrol

(a) Daily patrol

The daily patrols are carried out to confirm the presence and/or absence of

abnormalities at the power stations.

(b) Special patrol

The status of various facilities shall be checked specifically by these patrols

before and after any abnormal weather conditions (heavy rainstorms, flood, etc.),

and immediately after earthquakes.

b. Application of the Patrol Table Checklist

(a) For the daily and detailed patrol, a ‘patrol table checklist’ according to the actual

conditions of various facilities should be made and used.

(b) The ‘Patrol Table Checklist’ shall be prepared

c. Recording and reports

(a) Operators (or related staff) should make records of the patrol in the ‘Patrol Table

Checklists’ and report these results to the person in charge of whatever operation is

a matter of concern. These patrol results should be kept properly to ensure easy use

and access by other operators.

(b) When abnormalities are found, follow-up measures must be implemented

e. Points to be noted for patrols

(a) Any abnormality found during a patrol must be reported to the person in charge of

the indicated trouble operation, and appropriate corrective measures must be taken.

In emergency cases, emergency measures should be implemented in a safe and

thorough manner by the operator, and after that the person in charge of its operation

should be promptly notified.

(b) Patrols shall be carried out based on certain points of emphasis that were

determined by taking the conditions of the hydropower station into consideration.

These include not only seasonal or weather conditions, equipment characteristics

and their operational conditions, but also previous records.

(c) The condition of the meters, indicators, and relays should be checked appropriately,

as well as the connection conditions of each terminal.

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6.2 Daily patrol items

Daily patrol check items for micro-hydropower stations are as follows:

Table 6.2.1 Daily patrol items

Facilities and Equipment

Checking Points Measures

Suspended Trash at screen Remove the debris.

Water leakage from weir and gate

Record it and make repairs if necessary

Sand sedimentation Flush out as necessary. Intake and Waterway

Deformation or Crack in structure

Record and make repairs if necessary.

Sedimentation Basin Sand sedimentation Flush out as necessary.

Suspended materials along canal

Remove the debris.

Sand sedimentation Flush out as necessary.

Leakage, deformation and

Crack in structure Record it and make repairs if necessary.

Headrace

Land slide along headrace Remove the sand and rocks after confirming the safety.

Suspended Trash at screen Remove the debris.

Overflow from Spillway Reduce water intake if overflow of water is too great.

Water leakage Record it and make repairs if necessary.

Sand sedimentation Flush out as necessary

Head tank (Forebay)

Deformation or Crack in structure

Record it and make repairs if necessary.

Penstock Leakage and deformation Record it.

Strange sound and vibration Record it and make repairs if necessary. Turbine

Leakage from housing Record it and make repairs if necessary.

Strange sound and vibration Record and make repairs if necessary.

Temperature Record it Generator

Belt Damage Replace if necessary

Performance of load stabilizer Check the performance Load stabilizer

Damage of heater Replace if necessary

Transformer Leakage of oil Replace if necessary

Suspended material Remove after stopping operation. Transmission and

Distribution lines Approaching branch Cut it as necessary

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7. Maintenance Over time some parts of the hydropower station facilities will deteriorate or wear

out. Casings, guide vanes, runners, etc. often deteriorate due to cavitation damage,

corrosion and erosion, or wear of areas at narrow gaps. As a result, the efficiency of

the water turbines decreases little by little coupled with increasing water turbine

vibration and noise.

In order to maintain long-term optimal operating conditions of the micro

hydropower plants, waterway facilities, electric equipment, and transmission and

distribution lines should be adequately maintained.

7.1 Breakdown and Preventive Maintenance

There are basically two maintenance methods concerning the maintenance of power

station equipment: breakdown maintenance and preventive maintenance. Determining

which method to adopt depends on the situation, equipment and the concepts of the

implementers.

In the case of breakdown maintenance, power stations are only stopped in the event

of trouble occurring. This means maintenance expenses will inevitably ensue if

trouble occurs. Moreover, power stations are run continuously at the maximum

amount of generation if no trouble occurs. However, once trouble occurs a forced

outage is required to fix the trouble. This means that the duration of a forced outage

for breakdown maintenance will generally be longer than that of one for preventive

maintenance. Further, a sufficient amount of on-hand spare parts are required for

repairs to shorten the duration of the forced outage. Given these factors, breakdown

maintenance is generally considered less reliable and more costly for long-term

operations.

Table 7.1.1 Difference between breakdown and preventive maintenance

Breakdown maintenance ・ No need to stop power stations unless trouble occurs.

・ No expense until trouble occurs.

・ Forced outage

・ Lack of spare parts delays replacement of the

equipment.

・ Reserve capacity of the power system is required.

・ Increased risk of major damage.

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Preventive maintenance ・ Planned outage

・ Reduction of reserve capacity based on a lower ratio

of forced outages.

・ Parts procurement before maintenance.

・ Only replacement of consumable parts and minor

repair in many cases.

・ Necessary to stop power station or units.

・ Regular expenses are required based on a maintenance

plan.

On the other hand, for preventive maintenance, power stations are stopped regularly

based on a maintenance plan. However, the duration of the forced outage and

probability of trouble is lower because the maintenance is conducted regularly to keep

power stations operating under stable and reliable conditions. For preventive

maintenance, it is crucial to formulate and coordinate maintenance plans which consist

of contents, the duration of planned outages, the facilities that will be required to be

stopped, etc. Each plan must be coordinated in consideration of the power system

conditions. Maintenance consists of replacing consumable parts and conducting minor

repairs, therefore preplanned budgetary steps and procurement are also necessary.

7.2 Daily Maintenance

Operators should conduct daily maintenance if they find equipment abnormalities

during their daily patrol. Daily maintenance is usually conducted without stopping the

water turbine and dewatering the pipe. During the daily maintenance, the operators

should be careful of rotating parts, moving parts, live parts, and so on. The operators

shall engage in the following duties as daily maintenance.

(a) Cleaning equipment

(b) Retightening valves and volts

(c) Others (refer to Daily patrol items)

7.3 Maintenance for the trouble and failure

If the operators find any trouble and/or failure, they should confirm present

conditions and take countermeasures to prevent the spread of accidents. The operators

should also record their present condition and the countermeasures being taken. This

record will serve as valuable data for the implementers.

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7.4 Periodic Maintenance

Operators (and maintenance staff) should conduct maintenance periodically as

preventative measures.

Items and frequency of periodic inspection are shown as a sample in table 7.4.1.

Table 7.4.1 Items and frequency of periodic inspection (for example)

Facilities and Equipment

Checking Points Frequency Measures

Supply grease to bearing Six months

Bearing replacement Three years Turbine

Bolt connection One year Repair

Supply grease to bearing Six months

Bearing replacement Three years

Winding insulation resistance Six months Replace the generator

Bolt connection One year Repair

Generator

Damage of belt Six months Replace if necessary

Performance of load stabilizer Six months Repair Load stabilizer

Damage of heaters Six months Replace if necessary

Inlet valve Leakage One year Record and make repairs if necessary.

Transformer Leakage of oil One month Replace if necessary

Transmission and Distribution line

Approaching branch One month Cut if necessary

8. Recording Operators must keep records of the operation and maintenance of the

micro-hydropower plant. These records will help operators monitor the conduct of

regular or scheduled operation and maintenance activities. It will also serve as

supporting, evidential data in determining the causes of trouble in case of accidents.

A sample operation record and daily patrol check sheet is shown in the ANNEX1.

9. ‘Model Training Schedule’ for the training of new operators One ‘Model Training Schedule’ of new operators (for new MHP (Micro

Hydropower Plants)) is shown below (Table 9.1). A concrete training program is

planned and designed in consideration of actual MHP site conditions.

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Table 9.1 An example of ‘Model Training Schedule’

Day Contents of training Notes

AM Introduction of a MHP

Roles of MHP operators

Introduction of the MHP management

system

General explanation

General explanation

Based on the actual MHP

1st Day

PM

System of the MHP

Structure of MHP facilities

Characteristics of MHP equipment

Based on the actual MHP

Based on the actual MHP

Based on the actual MHP

2nd Day

Operation work of the MHP

Contents of operation work

Method of operation of Civil Engineering

Facilities and records

Method of operation of Electrical &

Mechanical Facilities and records

General and detailed

explanation of the actual

MHP.

3rd Day

Daily Patrol and Maintenance work of the MHP

Daily Patrol work and records

Contents of maintenance work

Examples of trouble, extraordinary

conditions and the countermeasures

Method of maintenance and records

General and detailed

explanation of the actual

MHP.

4th Day

- 5th Day

Site inspection of the existing MHP

Experience of the operation

Experience of the maintenance

Discussion with the operators

10. Amendment of the manual The DOE shall review this manual annually, and amend it, if necessary, according

to the surrounding circumstances in rural electrification of the country. The amended

manual shall be fully authorized among the DOE and approved by Director of Energy

Utilization Management Bureau of the DOE.

- 10- - 1

Check Sheet Civil Construction

Month : ____________________ Year : _______________

Remarks: * Fill the column as the actual condition such as: (N) Normal, (B) Bad, (R) Broken

Acknowledge Checker

Chairman Operator

Daily Checking No Description 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

I Dam 1 Construction 2 Stop Log

II Settling basin 1 Construction 2 Screen

III Headrace 1 Construction 2 Stop Log

IV Forebay tank 1 Construction 2 Screen

V Penstock 1 Penstock 2 Foundation

VI Power House 1 Construction 2 Sanitation

VII Tailrace 1 Construction

Damage Note Cause of Damage Repairing Note Repaired by

ANNEX-1

- 10- - 2

Check Sheet Mechanical and electrical

Month : ____________________ Year : _______________

Remarks: * Fill the column as the actual condition such as: (N) Normal, (B) Bad, (R) Broken

** If there is a fatal damage, repair immediately, or coordinated with IBEKA team Telp. 022-4202045

Acknowledge Checker

Chairman Operator

Daily Checking No Description 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

I Turbine 1 Runner 2 Bearing turbine

3 Plummer Block Bearing

4 Pull Turbine 5 Cover pulley 6 Coupling

II Panel control 1 Meter 2 Lightning rod 3 Ballast Load 4 Main Board

Damage note Cause of Damage Repairing Note Repaired by

- 10- - 3

Check Sheet Distribution Line

Month : ____________________ Year : _______________

Remarks : * Fill the column as the actual condition such as: (N) Normal, (B) Bad, (R) Broken

** If there is problem with the distribution facility, repair immediately and fill the damage column

Acknowledge by Checker

Chairman Operator

Daily Checking No Description 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

I Transmission 1 Pole 2 Cable 3 Connector 4 Group MCB

II In house installation 1 MCB 2 Installation Cable

Damage Note Cause of Damage Repairing note Repaired by

- 10- - 4

Lubricant & Spare parts

Year : _________________

Notet. : Fill the column with the lubrication date

Lubrication based on total operation hour

January February March April May June July August September October November December No

Description

720 1440 2160 2880 3600 4320 5040 5760 6480 7200 7920 8640

A LUBRICATION

1 Bearing Turbine

2 Plummer Block Turbine Bearing

3 Plummer Block Turbine Generator

B SPAREPARTS

1 Bearing

2 Seal

3 Coupling

4 Flat Belt

5 Others

Re-setting

- 10- - 5

Recorder

___________ Operator

LOG BOOK Year : __________________

Time Operation Volt Ampere Watt

Output Total Date

Start Stop Hour/day

Opening of Guide vane %

Frequency meter (Hz)

R-N(V1) S-N(V2) T-N(V3) A1 A2 A3 V1xA1 V2xA2 V3xA3 Watt Remarks

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Note: Fill the column after installation to the house Calculation of power output = (A1+A2+A3)x220 on condition ballast 0 (zero) volt

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Department of Energy

Energy Complex Merritt Road, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, Metro Manila

TEL: 479-2900 FAX: 840-1817