Power Factor Correction Interventions

Power factor correction (PFC) is a technique of counteracting the undesirable effects of electric loads that create a power factor that is less than one. Power factor correction may be applied either by an electrical power transmission utility to improve the stability and efficiency of the transmission network; or, correction may be installed by DUT to reduce the costs charged to it by the Local Council.

Power factor is the percentage of electricity that is delivered to the DUT campuses and that is used effectively compared to what is wasted. A perfect power factor is 1. On some of the DUT campuses, the power factor less than .76%. By installing a power factor correction device, it increases the power factor above 96% in most cases, implying at least 20% savings on the total electricity bill across the campus. This therefore increases the effectiveness in which DUT use electricity and reduces the amount of electricity supplied, therefore lowering the DUT power bill.

Improving the overall power factor of a campus can hold several benefits. These include increased capacity and the reduction of electrical maximum demand charge. In addition, power losses can be reduced in feeders, transformers and distribution equipment. A measurement and verification team needs to take the necessary electrical measurements of your network (short or long-term analysis, with sophisticated data logger). This allows one to better understand the power consumption and power factor constraints and ensures that the solution is based on sound and accurate information.