Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Power Factor?

In the simplest terms, power factor is the measure of how effectively your electrical equipment converts electric current (supplied by your power utility) into useful power output.

In technical terms, it is the ratio of Active Power (also known as Working Power and measured in watts or kilowatts (W or kW)) to the Apparent Power (measured in volt-amperes or kilovolt-amperes (kVA)) of an electrical installation.

The Active Power consumed by an electrical device is used to perform a useful power output such as heat, light, mechanical energy, etc.

Inductive devices (such as electric motors, transformers, welding units, lighting ballasts, and static converters) also consume Reactive Power (measured in volt-amperes reactive or kilovolt-ampere reactive (var or kvar)) in order to generate a magnetic field. This magnetic field does not perform any “useful” work but is required in order for the device to work. The reactive current drawn by an electrical device lags 90 degrees behind the active current drawn by it.

The Apparent Power drawn by an electrical installation is the vectorial sum of the Active and the Reactive Power drawn by the installation.

2. What are harmonics and why are they important?

Harmonics are created by electronic equipment with nonlinear loads drawing in current in abrupt short pulses. The short pulses cause distorted current waveforms, which in turn cause harmonic currents to flow back into other parts of the power system. Harmonics in power systems result in increased heating in the equipment and conductors, misfiring in variable speed drives, and torque pulsations in motors.

The harmful effects of harmonic voltages and currents on transformer performance often go unnoticed until an actual failure occurs. In some instances, transformers that have operated satisfactorily for long periods have failed in a relatively short time when plant loads were changed or a facility’s electrical system was reconfigured. Changes could include installation of variable frequency drives, electronic ballasts, power factor improvement capacitors, arc furnaces, and the addition or removal of large motors.

3. What are the benefits of replacing your ordinary bulbs with the LED?

There are many benefits. Here is a list of a few:

1. An immediate reduction in your electricity bill.
   b. Less heat. LED fixtures are extremely efficient converting electricity into light.
   c. LED Bulbs last a very long time, typically 50,000 to 100,000 hours.
   d. They are virtually indestructible.
   e. They do not contain mercury or other hazardous materials
   f. Highly recyclable – with no hazardous parts, you can easily reclaim most of the parts in an environmentally safe way.

Contact us today to get answers about your options from informative Energy Management Solution Specialists. We proudly serve clients in Kernersville, Winston-Salem, and Greensboro, North Carolina, and surrounding communities.