Power Factor Correction

POWER FACTOR is the ratio between the useful (true) power (kW) to the total (apparent) power (kVA) consumed by an item of a.c. electrical equipment or acomplete electrical installation. It is a measure of how efficiently electrical power is converted into useful work output. The ideal power factor is unity, or one. Anything less than one means that extra power is required to achieve the actual task.

Power factor (pf) = Useful power (kW) / total power (kVA)

Power factor correction is the term given to a technology that has been used to restore the power factor to as close to unity as is economically viable. This is normally achieved by the addition of capacitors to the electrical network which compensate for the reactive power demand of the inductive load and thus reduce the burden on the supply. There should be no effect on the operation of the equipment.