Power Factor

[OldNewbie]

In a electric utility system with almost completely heavy industrial loads, what would be a "decent" power factor? Any power company engineers out there want to offer a comment?

Old

 

[Telaid]

Tough to say since those types of facilities usually have capacitor banks to offset power factor issues.

 

[rick hart]

In a electric utility system with almost completely heavy industrial loads, what would be a "decent" power factor? Any power company engineers out there want to offer a comment?

Old

Decent- expected- would be around .8 without correction
That does not mean that you won't be severey penalized by the utility when it is less than .95 or higher

 

[jtester]

If you're referring othe utility's power factor it depends on where exctly along the line you are. When I worked for a utility, we placed capacitors using an economic analysis that present worthed the savings. We optimized dollars saved. Since the capacitor banks are lumped along a distribution line, say 1200 kvar or 1800 kvar, the pf changes significantly at each installation. That being said, I imagine a .9 or so overall pf is good in a distribution system.

Jim T

 

[robbietan]

in the Philippines, utilities used to give a teensy amount of discount if your p.f. is 85 and above and will penalize you if you have a p.f. below 80

 

[AllenC]

Hi, I have another question:

Lets say we have a power factor corrector installed at the mains, will adding capacitors or changing to HPF ballasts to our fluorescent lightings still matter?

Thanks.

 

[gobblerhuntr]

We penalize below 85% and get penalized from our supplier if we lag below 95% or lead at all. I am in the southeast under the TVA umbrella and that is the way it works just about all over the valley. I would concur that .8 would be a good PF before correction.