Power factor is the ratio of active power (kW) to apparent power (kVA) in an electrical system. A power factor of 1.0 means all energy drawn from the grid is performing useful work. A lower power factor means your facility draws more current than necessary, increasing reactive power demand charges. Most Queensland electricity retailers apply low-power-factor penalties where the power factor falls below 0.9 or 0.95.

kVAR correction in Brisbane for industrial and commercial facilities is most effective when sized accurately to your actual load profile — not from a rule-of-thumb estimate.

QPT carries out a power factor analysis using power quality analysers, measuring across your main switchboard and key distribution circuits over a representative operating period. The assessment calculates the reactive power correction required to bring your power factor within threshold.

The most common correction method is the installation of capacitor banks that supply reactive power locally, reducing reactive current drawn from the grid. For capacitor bank installation in Brisbane industrial and manufacturing facilities, QPT designs systems sized to your specific load profile, accounting for variable loads and harmonic environment.

Facilities with variable electrical loads benefit from automatic PFC systems that switch capacitor stages in response to real-time reactive power demand. QPT installs automatic PFC panels with controller monitoring and step switching for manufacturing and processing environments.