Alternating Current
Power Factor Correction Calculator
Power Factor Correction converts the entered electrical measurements into required capacitor reactive power. Use it to estimate correction reactive power.
Enter values for required capacitor reactive power
Use one consistent electrical operating case for all fields.
How Power Factor Correction works
The example applies Qc = P × (tan φ₁ − tan φ₂). Power Factor Correction uses Real power, Initial power factor, Target power factor, Frequency to report Required capacitor reactive power.
With the loaded values, required capacitor reactive power evaluates to 12,703.38 var. Hold the remaining entries steady while testing an uncertain input.
Inputs for Power Factor Correction
Real power, Initial power factor, Target power factor, and Frequency belong to Power Factor Correction. Keep source units with real power. For total harmonic distortion, use Total Harmonic Distortion Calculator.
Use the defaults to understand the output, then enter the real circuit or energy data.
- Real power
- Example entry: 20 kW.
- Initial power factor
- Example entry: 0.72.
- Target power factor
- Example entry: 0.95.
- Frequency
- Example entry: 50 Hz.
Reading the Power Factor Correction result
This output represents Power Factor Correction.
Compare the output with equipment limits and the applicable design margins. Compare this result with Capacitive Reactance Calculator when capacitive reactance is also needed.
Measurement and units
Use RMS quantities unless a field explicitly asks for peak amplitude. Check prefixes on real power.
Do not compare cases built from different unit prefixes or measurement locations.
Limits of this calculation
Capacitor switching and harmonic resonance require engineering review.
Unlisted circuit behavior remains outside the computed result. Unentered effects remain outside Power Factor Correction.