The decrease in power factor can be improved by installing a power factor correction capacitors (PFC). Conventional solutions include a bank of capacitors that act as a “generator” for silent reactive power, often housed in a metal cabinet similar to the one containing the switchboard.

How can a power factor correction help?

An electric load with a lower power factor can draw more current than the optimized load power factor to transmit the same amount of active power, which can unnecessarily burden the distribution network.

By improving the power factor, you can reduce your electricity bill by lowering your monthly energy and demand bills. The payback period for power factor correction is usually 1 to 3 years. Given the life expectancy and potential savings of a power factor correction capacitors, it can be a very valuable investment.

Bad power factors can cause power losses and voltage drops, which can lead to overheating and failure of motors and other equipment. If the electrical system is close to capacity, installing a power factor compensator may avoid costly infrastructure upgrades by reducing current power demand and improving efficiency stability.

Are you wasting your strength?

For example, a power factor of -0.7 indicates that only 70% of the energy supplied to the business is actively used and 30% is wasted. The wasted force is the reaction force. Most loads are inductive in nature. That is, the power factor is usually less than 1.

The higher the power factor is 1, the greater the apparent power drawn, and thus the greater the system draw current. As the current increases, it may be necessary to increase the size of the transformer and the power wires for the installation. With an increase in current, heat also increases, which affects the life and service life of the electrical system. This can be very expensive to install and can limit plant expansion.

Why is power factor correction important?

This is important because you may be paying for reactive energy (foam in the cola example) that cannot be used to run the machine. The more foam you get, the more “cola” you get, and the better the power factor, the less current you draw, shortening your electric bill, heat, and the life of your electrical system.

Many utilities charge base load (kW) and maximum order fees. If this maximum demand charge is measured in kVA, optimizing the power factor will reduce the kVA of the equipment, thus reducing the maximum demand charge, which in turn reduces energy costs.

In fact, it is the regulation of the network that allows customers to maintain a certain minimum power factor (values vary by region). The utility may charge the customer a fine in addition to the consumption fee if the customer’s power factor is less than the specified value.

Five benefits of correcting an energy factor that can affect utility bills

Power factor correction is very useful. Benefits include everything from reduced power system demand charges to increased current circuit load capacity and reduced overall power system losses.

Power factor correction capacitors, Compensators are some of such devices that are used to correct the power factor. Below is a list of five benefits in descending order of potential economic impact on utility bills.

1. Avoid power factor penalties

Most industrial processing facilities use several induction motors to drive pumps, conveyors, and other machinery in the plant. Induction motors inherently reduce the power factor in most industrial facilities. Many utilities rate power factor penalties for lower power factors (usually less than 0.80 or 0.85). Others encourage higher power factors (eg, 0.95 and above). You can eliminate the power factor penalty from your bill by adding a power factor correction.

2. Reduced application fee

Many utilities charge a maximum pay-as-you-go request based on the largest kilowatt meter (KW meter) or maximum kilovolt-ampere (KVA meter) logging percentage. When the power factor is low, the measured percentage of KVA is much higher than the demand for KW. Optimizing the power factor by correcting the power factor lowers the demand cost and helps reduce the electricity bill.

3. Increase the load in the existing circuits

Loads that consume reactive power also require reactive current. Installing a power factor rectifying capacitor at the end of the current circuit near the inductive load reduces the flow of current through each circuit.

The lower current due to the improved power factor allows the circuit to carry new loads, saving the cost of upgrading the distribution network when additional machinery or equipment requires additional capacity, and unnecessary upgrades. Save thousands of dollars in cost. In addition to that, low current flow reduces circuit resistance loss.

4. Voltage optimization

A lower power factor means you will have a higher current flow for a given load. With an increase in the line current, the conductor voltage drop increases, which leads to a decrease in the equipment voltage. The improvement in the power factor reduces the voltage drop and improves the voltage of the device.

5. Reducing the loss of power system

The economic benefits of reduced conductor loss alone are not enough to justify the installation of capacitors. But they can be an attractive additional feature. Especially in old factories and field pump operations with long feeders.