Abstract: A power controller having a switchable capacitive load connectable to an AC supply, the switchable capacitive load including at least one RC network having one or more capacitors. The capacitors have at least one resistive load switchable in place across the capacitors. The resistive load is switchable by a resistive load switch to connect the resistive load across the one or more capacitors when the capacitive load is not switchably connected to the AC supply and to disconnect when the capacitive load is connected to the AC supply. The resistive load switch is powered from the remnant voltage across the capacitors.

Abstract: An active phase angle correction circuit which corrects the phase angle between voltage and current in an AC supply varies the capacitive loading of the AC mains to reduce the phase angle to near zero by detecting the phase angle, reactively and resistively loading the AC mains in steps until the phase angle is at a desired level close to zero, and then maintaining or incrementally adjusting the loading. The applied loading may be continuously switched in and out at a rate much greater than the mains supply frequency.

Abstract: A circuit to supply an AC voltage to a fluorescent lamp load from an AC supply converts the supply to DC, boosts the voltage in a converter and then drives an inverter from the smoothed boosted voltage in such a manner that the inverter will not start if the load is too low and the inverter frequency is almost constant. The power factor of the circuit is maintaining very close to unity.

Abstract: An active phase angle correction circuit which corrects the phase angle between voltage and current in an AC supply varies the capacitive loading of the AC mains to reduce the phase angle to near zero by detecting the phase angle, reactively and resistively loading the AC mains in steps until the phase angle is at a desired level close to zero, and then maintaining or incrementally adjusting the loading. The applied loading may be continuously switched in and out at a rate much greater than the mains supply frequency.