Why Power Factor Matters
Power factor is an important electrical parameter in industrial installations because it indicates how effectively electrical power is being utilised by the connected loads.
Industrial facilities commonly operate motors, transformers, welding equipment, drives and other electrical loads that can increase reactive power demand. A lower power factor can result in higher current for the same useful power requirement and may contribute to increased electricity costs.
Understanding the causes of poor power factor is therefore an important first step towards selecting an appropriate correction strategy.
What Causes Poor Power Factor?
Inductive loads such as motors and transformers require reactive power for their operation. When reactive power demand becomes significant compared with useful active power consumption, the overall power factor of the installation decreases.
How Power Factor Correction Helps
Power factor correction systems can supply reactive power locally and reduce the reactive power drawn from the electrical supply. Automatic power factor correction systems can adjust capacitor stages according to changing load conditions.
Why Load Variation Matters
Industrial loads rarely remain constant throughout the production cycle. Rapidly changing loads may require an appropriate switching strategy so that correction remains effective without unnecessary capacitor switching.
Where to Start
A review of electricity bills, load patterns, measured electrical parameters and existing power factor correction equipment can help establish whether a power factor problem exists and what type of corrective action may be appropriate.