Improving the Efficiency and Sustainability of Power Systems Using Distributed Power Factor Correction Methods

For the equipment connected to the three-phase or single-phase grid, the power factor represents an efficiency measure for the usage of electrical energy. The power factor improvement through correction methods reduces the load on the transformers and power conductors, leading to a reduction of losses in the mains power supply and a sustainable grid system. The implications at the financial level are also important. An example of load that generates a small power factor is represented by a motor without mechanical load or having a small mechanical load. Given the power factor correction (PFC), the costs are reduced through the elimination of penalties, applying only in the common coupling point (CCP). The advantages of using equipment for the power factor correction are related also to their long operation duration and the easiness of their installation. The device presented in this article takes advantage of the advances in information and communication technology (ICT) to create a new approach for telemetry and remote configuration of a PFC. This approach has flexibility and versatility, such that it can be adapted to many loads, easily changing the capacitance steps and settings of the power factor correction device.