Q: What is Power Factor Correction and
how can it help my energy costs?
Answer: Power Factor is the ratio of Actual Power
used by a circuit to the Total Power delivered by the Utility.Motors,
transformers, and generators are essentially notbing more
than current-carrying coils and electromagnets.When current
starts to flow in a coil, it sets up a magnetic field around
the coil which causes a current to flow in the coil in the
opposite dir ction--opposing tb.e current that caused it.
This is called reactance and tbe higher it is, the lower
(worse) the Power Factor.
Capacitors lower electrical costs two ways:
1. In many areas, the electrical rate includes a penalty
charge for low Power Factor. lnstallation of power capacitors
on the electrical distribution system within a facility
makes it unnecessary for the utility to supply the Reactive
Power required by inductive electrical equipment. The savings
the utility realizes in reduced generation, transmission,
and distribution costs are passed on to the customer in
the form of lower electrical bills,
2, The second source of savings derived through the use
of Power Factor correction capacitors is in the form of
increased capacity in the electrical distribution system.
Installation of capacitors to furnish the non-productive
current requirements of the facility makes it possible to
increase the connected load by as much as 20% without a
corresponding increase in the size of transformers and conductors.
|
