POWER FACTOR

Power factor is a measure of how effectively electricity is being used by a load. A high power factor means that the load is efficiently utilizing electrical power. The power factor can be determined from the following equation:

Power Factor (P_f) = (Active Power) / (Apparent Power)

• Active power is consumed by an inductive load to produce work and is expressed in watts (W).
• Reactive power is consumed by the inductive load to produce the electromagnetic field and is expressed in volt-amperes reactive (VAR).
• Active power and reactive power make up apparent power.

A low power factor means that you are not fully utilizing the electrical power that you are paying for.

You can improve the power factor of a load by adding power capacitor banks to the electrical system. A power capacitor bank acts like a reactive power source and will reduce the amount of apparent power that has to be supplied by the source.

Power capacitor banks provide the following benefits:

• Improved Voltage Stability
• Increased Electrical System Capacity
• Reduced Electrical System Losses
• Reduced Electric Utility Bills

The following industries typically exhibit low power factors:

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