Power Factor Calculator

Improve electrical efficiency and calculate required capacitor bank kVAR for power factor correction.

System Parameters

Calculation Results

How to Use This Calculator

This tool helps you determine the current efficiency of your electrical system. Simply enter your Active Power (kW), Voltage, and Current. The calculator will provide your existing Power Factor and precisely how much capacitive reactive power (kVAR) is needed to reach your target efficiency.

Mathematical Formulas

1. Apparent Power (kVA) = (V × I × √3) / 1000
2. Power Factor (Cos φ) = Real Power (kW) / Apparent Power (kVA)
3. Required kVAR = kW × [tan(acos(Old PF)) – tan(acos(Target PF))]

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is an ideal Power Factor?

The ideal power factor is 1.0 (Unity). However, most utilities consider a range between 0.95 and 0.99 to be highly efficient.

Why is a Low Power Factor bad?

A low PF indicates that your system is drawing more current than necessary. This leads to overheated equipment, higher energy losses, and often heavy penalties on commercial electricity bills.

How can I improve my Power Factor?

Power factor is typically improved by installing Capacitor Banks or APFC (Automatic Power Factor Correction) panels to counteract inductive loads from motors and transformers.

🔌 What is Power Factor?

Power factor (PF) is the ratio of real power (kW) to apparent power (kVA) in an electrical circuit.

Power Factor (PF) = Real Power (kW) / Apparent Power (kVA)

  • Power factor value lies between 0 and 1
  • Ideal power factor is 1 (unity)
  • Most industrial loads operate at 0.7 to 0.9

🧮 Power Factor Calculation – Single Phase

🔹 Power Factor Formula

PF=1000×P(kW)V(V)×I(A)PF = \frac{1000 \times P(kW)}{V(V) \times I(A)}

⚡ Three Phase Power Factor Calculation (Balanced Load)

🔹 Using Line-to-Line Voltage

Power Factor

PF=1000×P(kW)3×VL−L×IPF = \frac{1000 \times P(kW)}{\sqrt{3} \times V_{L-L} \times I}

🔹 Using Line-to-Neutral Voltage

Power Factor

PF=1000×P(kW)3×VL−N×IPF = \frac{1000 \times P(kW)}{3 \times V_{L-N} \times I}

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