One of the most overlooked items in energy-saving today is Power Factor Correction. Having a Low Power Factor can lead to high energy costs, poor reliability of equipment, excessive heat buildup and can even pose safety issues in the workplace. Power Factor can be defined as the ratio between True Power(kW) and Apparent Power(VAR) that is being drawn by an electrical load.
True Power (kW) does most of the work and Apparent Power (KVA and also kVAR) is the reactive power that supplies the magnetic field. With Inductive Loads, such as an electric motor, the True Power performs the work and the Reactive Power supplies the magnetic field that enables the motor to spin.
Having a Low Power Factor happens when inductive electrical equipment (Electric Pumps, Transformers, Air Handlers, A/C Units, Chillers, etc.) causes the voltage and current to be out of phase. When this happens it causes an increase in current on the electrical load.
An increase in current will cause excessive heat buildup resulting in an increase in repair or replacement costs on the equipment. An increase in current will also cause your utility bills to rise. Since the utility companies bill you in Kilowatts (kW) and to get Kilowatts the formula is, Volts (V) x Amps (A) = Watts (W), any increase in amps will increase the watts. In Commercial and Industrial, you may be given a demand charge or penalty by the utility company for having a Low Power Factor. Using Power Factor Correction units can remove this charge and even save you money on your electric bills.
When your Apparent Power (kVA) is greater than your working power (kW), the utility company has to supply more reactive current along with the working current. Since Power Factor Correction Units act as Reactive Current Generator (See Figure 1.), they reduce the amount of current supplied by the utility company.
Having motors that are operating at less than full load is one of the main causes of a low Power Factor. This happens often with cycle processes. Some examples are compressors, ball mills, conveyors, circular saws, punch presses, and grinders. These motors are usually designed for a heavy load. For example - When a grinder is performing a light cut, a circular saw spinning without cutting or an unloaded air compressor running, it causes a low Power Factor to occur.
When including Power Factor Correction Units in expansion and new construction plans you can reduce the size of transformers, switches, buses, etc., and bring the cost of your project down.
When you have low voltage because of an excessive current draw, it will cause your motors to be sluggish and overheat. As your Power Factor decreases, the total line current will increase, causing more voltage drop. When you add Power Factor Correction Units to your system, it will correct this problem and make your motors more efficient and have a longer lifespan.
Depending on how severe your local utility tariff is will affect your payback and ROI. In most cases, a customized Power Factor Correction Unit will pay for itself in less than two years.
At Global Energy Solutions Group, we have developed the most effective method of introducing Power Factor Correction into industrial and commercial loads. Our innovative, proprietary system allows us to optimize inductively fixed and variable loads, generating the maximum amount of energy savings and a rapid return on investment.
The process is non-disruptive and begins with sizing each motor load enabling us to precisely measure the proper amount of capacitance and harmonic filtering needed to take the circuit back to unity.
Once complete, we will provide a free energy analysis of the facility using the data collected. Our equipment is user-friendly, and anyone with an electrical background can operate the testing equipment safely.