The short answer is no, not all industries benefit from using PFC equipment, but many industries will benefit.
Those that are most likely see significant electricity cost reductions from an investment in power factor correction equipment are commercial or industrial businesses where electrical motors represent a significant share of the total electrical load. These include, but are not limited to:
- Mills (rock, flour, animal feeds, sawmilling, etc.)
- Abattoirs
- Refrigerated storage
- Data centres
- Fast-moving consumer goods manufacturing
- Bottling companies (beer, cold drinks etc.)
- Companies involved in the plastics industry (injection moulding, recycling, PET, etc.)
- Metal processing industries, with equipment such as welders, bending machines, guillotines, punching machines, etc
- Foundries
- Metal recyclers
- Chicken farms
- Engineering companies
- Bakeries
- Grain silo’s
- Rubber processing
- Chemical industries
- Paper and cardboard processing
- Brick manufacturing
- Glass manufacturing
Installing PFC equipment in homes, however, does not result in reduced electricity costs as utilities charge residential users differently to what they charge commercial and industrial businesses.
Let’s look at a few case studies of power factor correction projects we recently completed:
| Cost of PFC installation | Monthly saving | Savings over 10 years | |
| Furniture manufacturing plant | R100,000 | R8,700 | R1,500,000 |
| Wood processing plant | R73,500 | R3,100 | R470,000 |
| Food processing plant | R1,250,000 | R84,500 | R13,520,000 |
| Abattoir | R580,000 | R110,000 | R21,000,000 |
| Aluminium Processing Plant | R525,000 | R75,000 | R12,000,000 |
| Flour Mill | R175,000 | R17,000 | R2,200,000 |
What is interesting to note in the table above is that although the industries are different, the monthly electricity savings are significant.
Electricity costs will continue to rise well above the inflation rate for many years to come, which is why businesses need to optimize their electricity consumption and efficiency.
Alpha Power Solutions is offering a complimentary PFC inspection in addition to energy audits and turnkey power factor correction project implementation.
Can you afford not to improve your power factor?
We have developed an easy to use savings estimator to work out your potential savings as well as the necessary investment you would need to make.
We would love to work with you to save you money on your monthly electricity bill and assist you to recover in this post-Covid economy.
As a corporate member of the Southern African Association for Energy Efficiency Confederation (SAEEC), an associate member of the Electrical Contractors Association of South Africa (ECASA) and with a Tier 1 Energy Services Company (ESCo) recognition level with the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI), we are in the best position to give you and your business the energy efficiency knowledge and savings you need. Contact us for any other questions you may have and which we haven’t covered here.