1. Utility Savings Bill McGroarty Suburban Electric Supply Co

2. What is Power Factor? “Power factor” involves a relationship between two types of power –working power –reactive power

3. Inductive Loads Most loads in modern electrical distribution systems are inductive: which means that they require an electromagnetic field to operate. Require two kinds of current: –Working power –Reactive power

4. Working power Measured in kilowatts(KW) Does the work for the system- providing the motion, heat or whatever else is required

5. Reactive Power Measured in kilovolt-amperes- reactive(KVAR) Does not do useful work Simply sustains the electromagnetic field

6. Relationship of three types of power Following right power triangle illustrates the relationship between these three types of power square of apparent power equals the square of working power plus the square of reactive power finally the power factor is the ratio of working power to apparent power or KW/KVA

7. Relationship of power Working power (KW) Reactive power (KVAR) Apparent power (KVA) Power Factor = Working power/ Apparent power

8. What does power factor measure? Power factor measures how effectively electrical power is being used. A high power factor means that electrical power is being utilized effectively A low power factor indicates poor utilization of electrical power numerical eg. Paper mill operating at 100kw (working power)and the apparent power consumed was 125 KVA, you would divide 100 by 125 and come up with a power factor of 80%-- represents fairly low power factor

9. Why should I be concerned about low power factor? Low power factor means that you’re not fully utilizing the electrical power you’re paying for In the previous example, with a power factor of 80%, your paper mill would be utilizing only 80% of the energy supplied by the utility. This means that only 80% of the incoming current is being used to produce useful work.

10. What can I do to improve power factor? The simplest way to improve power factor is to add power factor correction capacitors to your plant distribution system Power capacitors act as reactive current generators. By providing the reactive current, they reduce the total amount of current your system must draw from the utility

11. How much can I save by installing power capacitors? Power capacitors provide many benefits: –Reduced electrical utility bills ( a typical payback period is less than one year) –Increased system capacity –Improved voltage –Reduced heat losses