• What is Power Factor?

Power Factor is simply a measure of the relationship between the Real Power and the Apparent Power of your equipment (click for more)

It is a measure of the efficient use of use of power.

• Importance of Power Factor

Power factor is a very crucial aspect of every AC system. This is because power factors less than 1 implies that the system requires more current than necessary to deliver the same amount of true power to the load.

Power factor of less than one also means that you derive less from your investment.

When you invest in a 10kVA UPS for example, you expect to have access to a 10kVA system but with poor power factor, you derive less than 10kVA with possibilities of additional investment if the power factor was not put into consideration previously

• How is Power Factor Determined / Calculated?

To determine the power factor (PF), simply divide the Real power (W or kW) by the apparent power (VA or kVA).

i.e,

Real Power = 200kW

Apparent Power = 250kVA

From the example above, At 0.8 power factor, it requires 250 kVA to produce 200 kW while at 0.99 power factor, the real power is 247.5 kW.

• Effects of Poor / Low Power Factor

As mentioned above, low power factor is a waste of resources and a source of inefficiencies in any system. Basically, you spend more to obtain less.

Secondly, poor power factor is costly for the end user because of increase in kW losses and low voltage.

In conclusion, Power factor provides a veritable means of determining how effectively electrical power is being utilized in your power system.

A high power factor such as 1.0 indicates effective utilization of electrical power, while a low power factor indicates otherwise.

Should you be worried about low power factor?

Yes.

This is because a system or equipment with low power factor does not deliver value for the investment or money spent on such equipment and leads to losses.

Essentially, poor power factor leads to an inefficient power delivery system and has an adverse effect on your infrastructure / investment.

Should You Stay Worried?

No, simply because low power factor can be improved and corrected.

Why You Need to Take Action

Improving / correcting the Power Factor can significantly increase the efficiency of your system, improve voltage to your equipment while also reducing your power and economic losses.

At Powerex, we provide power factor correction solutions to help in maximizing the real power used in your facility. Please contact us for further details.