Power Factor Correction Assessments. Energy Efficiency

Counteracting the effects of the upcoming municipal hikes should be a priority on any business agenda right now & power factor correction assessments are a proven solution to accomplish just that. The key objectives of power factor audits are to analyse the efficiency of your electricity usage, check your power factor & identify hidden elements that impact your bottom line. We take a closer look at how it works.

A low power factor equals high energy costs

The reason why the power factor is so critical can simply be described as follows: increased power factor = decreased current. And decreased power factor = increased current. So if you have a low power factor, the current will increase. The following is a synopsis of how a low power factor affects your electrical circuit in practice:

• Large lines losses occur that are directly proportional to the current, thus the larger the current, the larger the line losses
• Large line losses requires high excitation and leads to poor energy generation
• The lower the power factor, the larger the kVA rating of machines need to be & the greater the costs of it
• Greater conductors are needed to transmit the higher current – which in turn leads to further increased expenditure
• It causes large voltage drops & poor voltage regulation that also requires additional spend on equipment such as regulators

What power factor audits can achieve for you.
The electricity you use in your business can be divided into two core parts: active power & reactive power.The active power is usable energy & the reactive power is apparent power. When your reactive power is greater than your active power, you will use more electricity.A low power factor will improve this ratio of active to reactive power & lead to reduced energy usage & costs.Alpha Power Solutions offers free power factor correction assessments, including a report with expert insights & practical recommendations for improving your power factor. All aimed at yielding a notable ROI, within 12-18 months.

These are some of the elements that are covered in such an audit, through the use of sophisticated test equipment:

• Active power or true power that is drawn by the electrical circuit is measured (KW)
• Apparent power is calculated (kVA), taking into account the currency that passes through
• The extent to which you need to increase ratio of active poweris determined
• Reactive power is established which in turn gauges the apparent power
• Voltage drops & losses due to reactive power & currents that are out of phase – are identified
• Problematic networks are identified

Additional advantages of power factor correction
These are some of the added benefits you will gain from power factor correction:

• Increased efficiency in conversion of electricity used by your plant equipment
• Availability of extra power for the expansion of commercial capacity
• Reduction in transmission losses
• Improved competitiveness & sustainability

Beat the municipal price hike and make an expert business decision by assessing how your business can save electricity and gain ROI.