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Power Factor Formula:
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Power Factor (PF) is the ratio of real power to apparent power in AC electrical systems. It represents the efficiency of power usage and indicates how effectively electrical power is being converted into useful work output.
The calculator uses the Power Factor formula:
Where:
Explanation: Power factor ranges from 0 to 1, where 1 represents perfect efficiency (all power is real power) and lower values indicate poor power quality with reactive power components.
Details: Calculating power factor is crucial for optimizing electrical system efficiency, reducing energy costs, improving voltage regulation, and ensuring compliance with utility power factor requirements. Poor power factor can lead to increased electricity bills and equipment inefficiency.
Tips: Enter real power in watts and apparent power in volt-amperes (VA). Both values must be positive numbers greater than zero. The calculator will compute the power factor as a dimensionless ratio.
Q1: What is considered a good power factor?
A: Generally, a power factor of 0.95 or higher is considered good. Utilities often charge penalties for power factors below 0.85-0.90.
Q2: What causes poor power factor?
A: Poor power factor is typically caused by inductive loads like motors, transformers, and fluorescent lighting that create reactive power.
Q3: How can power factor be improved?
A: Power factor can be improved by adding power factor correction capacitors, using synchronous condensers, or optimizing motor loads.
Q4: What's the difference between real power and apparent power?
A: Real power (watts) performs actual work, while apparent power (VA) is the vector sum of real power and reactive power.
Q5: Can power factor be greater than 1?
A: No, power factor cannot exceed 1. A value of 1 represents perfect power factor with no reactive power component.