Power Factor Correction

Power Factor Correction (PRC)

Inductive loads can lead to inefficient usage of electrical power and wasted energy

What is Power Factor ?

Power Factor is a measure of how efficiently electrical power is consumed. In the ideal world, Power Factor would be at Unity (or 1).

Unfortunately in the real world, Power Factor is often brought down to 0.7 or less by highly inductive loads on the electrical supply.

This induction is caused by equipment such as :

lightly loaded electric motors
luminaire transformers
fluorescent lighting ballasts
welding equipment
arc furnaces
ventilation and refrigeration

that all introduce varying measures of inefficiencies in the form of additional currents drawn as ‘inductive reactive currents’

Inductive loads cause the AMPS to lag behind the VOLTS. The wave forms of VOLTS and AMPS are then "out of phase" with each other. The more out of phase they become then the lower the Power Factor.

When the power factor falls below a set figure, the electricity supply companies charge a premium on the kW being consumed, or, charge for the whole supply as kVA.

By installing suitably sized switched capacitors into the circuit, the Power Factor is improved and the value becomes nearer to 1, thus minimising wasted energy and improving the efficiency of a plant or industrial application.

It is not usually necessary to reach unity, i.e. Power Factor 1, since most electricity supply companies are happy with a PF of 0.95 to 0.98

Benefits of Power Factor Correction

The introduction of Power Factor Correction is a widely recognised method of :

reducing an electrical load
minimising wasted energy
improving the efficiency of a plant
reducing the electricity bill

The reduction in energy losses and reduced CO2 emissions are also increasingly important in today's environmentally aware society.

ADSM is well qualified to examine your electrical system loads, evaluate your Power Factor and install the necessary devices to optimise it - as close to Unity or 1 as possible.