Understanding Power Factor and Power Factor Correction Capacitors

Among the many technical terms encountered in electrical system design and maintenance, one of the most critical is the Power Factor . It indicates how efficiently electrical energy is being used and is particularly important in industrial and commercial power systems. In large-scale facilities such as factories and buildings, low power factor can lead to penalties on electricity bills , making the use of Power Factor Correction Capacitors essential.     What is Power Factor? Power Factor is the ratio of real power to apparent power. It is defined by the formula: Power Factor (PF) = Real Power (W) ÷ Apparent Power (VA) Real power performs actual work, while apparent power includes both real and reactive power. The closer the power factor is to 1, the more efficiently electricity is being used. Typically, a power factor of 0.95 or higher is considered ideal. Why is Power Factor Important? When the power factor is low, more current is required to p...