Industrial facilities use tons of power every day to fuel their day-to-day operations, but did you know that only a percentage of the electricity that a company pays for ends up being used in their industrial operations? Many facilities use large-sized motors in their operations, and while they are essential for industrial applications, they can also cause industrial facilities to not make the most of the electricity that they are paying for. More specifically, large motors can cause industrial facilities to experience inefficiencies with their electrical systems. To determine how efficient (or inefficient) an industrial facility’s operations are, power factor is calculated.
What Is Power Factor?
Power factor is the ratio between the true power and the apparent power consumed by specific AC electrical equipment or a complete electrical installation. True power, measured in kilowatts, is the power that is actually used for productive purposes; apparent power is measured in kilo-volt-amperes and represents the total amount of power used. You can calculate power factor by dividing true power by apparent power, which can help you determine how efficiently electrical power is being converted into useful work output.
What Is An Ideal Power Factor?
The best possible power factor that an industrial facility can have is 1; this would indicate that every piece of AC electrical equipment is operating with perfect efficiency. However, since perfect efficiency is theoretically impossible, industrial facilities should strive to get their power factor as close to 1 as possible. Ideal power factors prove that a facility is making the most of the electricity that they pay for every month, while a low power factor indicates that a facility’s electrical systems are not operating at a high standard.
What Causes Decreases in Power Factor?
There are several factors that can reduce the efficiency of an industrial facility, and inefficiency with motors is the most common culprit. Many industrial facilities still rely on motor starters as opposed to more efficient Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs), which can lead to lower power factor numbers. Optimized motor system installations that utilize VFDs can help combat power factor inefficiencies, and hundreds of industrial facilities across the country are switching to this technology as a result. The more motors (especially larger motors) that your operations rely on, the greater the need is for power factor correction.
How Can Power Factor Correction Improve Efficiency?
To achieve a higher power factor, equipment like capacitor banks are installed to generate reactive power, thereby offsetting the power consumed by inductive loads. This ultimately reduces the demand for reactive power from the grid and increases efficiency. Power factor correction results in a more efficient facility that gains more available power from the same incoming circuit. There are several other benefits that come from power factor correction; for example, maintaining an ideal power factor can help your industrial facility reduce its electricity bills. Since facilities with higher power factors are more efficient, they pay less every month for their electricity bills than industrial facilities that have not undergone power factor correction. Some electrical companies will actually penalize a facility if its power factor drops below a certain value, but they can also offer rebates for facilities that have a higher power factor. Because of this, many managers feel incentivized to seek out power factor correction services to capitalize on these potential savings.
RAPIER Industries: Your Partner for Industrial Facility Optimization
Increases in operational efficiency can lead to long-term benefits, and RAPIER Industries is here to help your industrial facility achieve greater efficiency. We offer power factor correction services that aim to increase the efficiency of your operations, help you decrease energy bills, and avoid penalties from the electric company. Ready to get started? Contact RAPIER today to learn more about how we can serve you.
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