Power Factor Correction
Electrical services
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Power Factor Correction
Reduce Your Utility Bills
The power factor of an AC electrical power system is defined as the ratio of the real power flowing to the load to the apparent power in the circuit. Power factor is low in industrial settings where most of the plant energy is used to power electric motors. It is lowest when the induction motors tend to be oversized and under-loaded. A lagging (less than 1.0) power factor causes some additional energy loss because more current is required – compared to an in-phase sinusoidal current – to deliver a certain amount of power. Power factor correction means implementing a capacitor in parallel to the circuit in order to correct the lagging (inductive) load.
Energy providers impose a penalty if your power factor is below their standards. This can increase your utility bill substantially. Locally, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission recently authorized new higher power factor standards for OG&E. Currently the required rating is 0.85 and is scheduled to increase to 0.90 this year.
From design to installation, Shawver & Son, Inc. can handle any of your power factor correction needs.
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