Reasons for Improving the Power Factor

    Improving the power factor (Power Factor, PF) is an important goal in the operation of the power system. 

The main reasons involve several aspects such as **energy efficiency, equipment utilization rate, electricity cost,

 and power grid stability**. The following is a detailed analysis of the specific reasons:

 1. Reducing Electric Energy Loss: Decreasing the Energy Waste of Lines and Equipment

- **Principle**:

The power factor (\(\cos\phi\)) is the ratio of active power (\(P\)) to apparent power (\(S\)), that is, 

When the power factor is low, the proportion of **reactive power ** is high, resulting in an increase in

the total current (\(I = \frac{S}{U}\)).

- The increase in current significantly increases the line resistance loss .

- For example, if the power factor is increased from 0.7 to 0.9, the current can be reduced by approximately 28%, and the line

 loss can be reduced by about 45%.

 2. Improving Equipment Utilization Rate: Releasing the Capacity of the Power Grid and Equipment

- **Problems**:

The capacity of equipment such as generators, transformers, and cables is determined by the apparent power (\(S\)). If the power 

factor is low, a larger apparent power is required for the same active power.

- Example: For a 1000kVA transformer, when \(\cos\phi = 0.7\), it can only output 700kW of active power; if \(\cos\phi = 0.9\), 

it can output 900kW.

- **Benefits**:

Improving the power factor can reduce the redundancy of equipment capacity, avoid upgrading equipment to meet the load, 

and save investment.

 3. Reducing Electricity Expenditure: Avoiding Reactive Power Penalties

- **Electricity Cost Structure**:

The electricity cost for industrial users usually includes **active electricity cost** and **reactive power penalties** (or power

 factor adjustment electricity cost).

- If the power factor is lower than the value specified by the power supply bureau (such as 0.9), the enterprise needs to pay for

 the reactive power, resulting in an increase in the electricity cost.

- Example: For an enterprise with a monthly electricity consumption of 1 million kWh, when \(\cos\phi = 0.7\), it may face reactive

 power penalties of tens of thousands of yuan.

 4. Improving Voltage Quality: Stabilizing the Operation of the Power Grid

- **Impact of Low Power Factor**:

Reactive power will cause the line voltage drop , especially in long-distance power transmission or heavily

 loaded lines.

- A too low voltage will affect the normal operation of equipment (such as a decrease in motor torque), and a too high voltage 

may damage the insulation.

- **Effect of Improving the Power Factor**:

Reducing the flow of reactive power, decreasing the line voltage fluctuation, and enhancing the stability of the power grid.

 5. Environmental Protection and Sustainability: Reducing Energy Waste

- **Indirect Emission Reduction**:

Reducing line losses means reducing the energy consumption (such as coal, natural gas) at the power generation end, thereby 

reducing carbon emissions and environmental pollution.

- According to statistics, for every 0.1 increase in the average power factor of China's power grid, tens of billions of kilowatt-hours

 of electricity can be saved each year.

 Supplementary: Common Scenarios of Low Power Factor

- **Predominantly Inductive Loads**: Such as motors, transformers, welding machines, etc., which require a large amount of 

reactive power during operation.

- **Lightly Loaded or No-Load Equipment**: Such as no-load transformers, standby equipment. At this time, the active power is 

low, but the proportion of reactive power is high.

# Summary: The Core Value of Improving the Power Factor

**Common Methods**:

- Compensating reactive power by paralleling capacitors;

- Adjusting the load by using synchronous motors or frequency converters;

- Reasonably designing the power grid structure to avoid the no-load operation of equipment.