Automatic Capacitor Bank

SELECTING AN AUTOMATIC CAPACITOR SIZE

Example: How much kVAR is req

480V system to a
demand month was

The following calculator is used to determine the capacitor kVAR

required to improve PF of a single load or entire power system.
Actual power factor, peak kilowatt demand, desired PF and
system voltage are required. The best source for this information
is the monthly utility bill or other local monitoring equipment. A
calculation of each months data for a 12 month period is
recommended to determine the maximum kVAR required.

Formula: kVAR = kW x kW FAC

From the kW FACTOR calculator
is 0.685

Therefore: kVAR = 620 x .685 =

Existing P.F (%)

76

Desired P.F. (%)

95

Load (kW)

2000

Kilowatt Factor

0.526

Required kVAR

1053

Effective: 1031 rev.2

Automatic Capacitor Bank Sizing

Example: How much kVAR is required to correct an entire
480V system to a 90% power factor when the peak kilowatt
demand month was 620kW at a 65% power factor?
Formula: kVAR = kW x kW FACTOR
From the kW FACTOR calculator below , the FACTOR

Therefore: kVAR = 620 x .685 = 425

Voltage
180
19

Schneider Canada Capacitor Division

Automatic Capacitor Bank Sizing
SELECTING AN AUTOMATIC CAPACITOR SIZE

Example: How much kVAR is required to correct an entire

480V system to a 90% power factor when the peak kilowatt
demand month was 620kW at a 65% power factor?

The following table is used to determine the capacitor kVAR

required to improve PF of a single load or entire power system.
Actual power factor, peak kilowatt demand and desired PF are
required. The best source for this information is the monthly
utility bill or other local monitoring equipment. A calculation of
each months data for a 12 month period is recommended to
determine the maximum kVAR required.

Use the formula:

kVAR = kW x kW FACTOR

From the kW FACTOR Table below, find the FACTOR

that applies to a system with an original PF of 65% and
a desired PF of 90%. This FACTOR is read to be 0.685.
Therefore:

kVAR = 620 x .685 = 425kVAR

Or g i n a l P F
i

i n Pe r c e nt

kW FACTOR TABLE
Desired PF in Percent
80

81

82

83

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

50

0.982

1.008

1.034

1.060

1.086

1.112

1.139

1.165

1.192

1.220

1.248

1.276

1.306

1.337

1.369

1.403

1.440

1.481

1.529

1.590

1.732

51
52
53
54
55

0.937
0.893
0.850
0.809
0.768

0.963
0.919
0.876
0.835
0.794

0.989
0.945
0.902
0.861
0.820

1.015
0.971
0.928
0.887
0.846

1.041
0.997
0.954
0.913
0.873

1.067
1.023
0.980
0.939
0.899

1.093
1.049
1.007
0.965
0.925

1.120
1.076
1.033
0.992
0.952

1.147
1.103
1.060
1.019
0.979

1.174
1.130
1.088
1.046
1.006

1.202
1.158
1.116
1.074
1.034

1.231
1.187
1.144
1.103
1.063

1.261
1.217
1.174
1.133
1.092

1.291
1.247
1.205
1.163
1.123

1.324
1.280
1.237
1.196
1.156

1.358
1.314
1.271
1.230
1.190

1.395
1.351
1.308
1.267
1.227

1.436
1.392
1.349
1.308
1.268

1.484
1.440
1.397
1.356
1.315

1.544
1.500
1.458
1.416
1.376

1.687
1.643
1.600
1.559
1.518

56
57
58
59
60

0.729
0.691
0.655
0.618
0.583

0.755
0.717
0.681
0.644
0.609

0.781
0.743
0.707
0.670
0.635

0.807
0.769
0.733
0.696
0.661

0.834
0.796
0.759
0.723
0.687

0.860
0.822
0.785
0.749
0.714

0.886
0.848
0.811
0.775
0.740

0.913
0.875
0.838
0.802
0.767

0.940
0.902
0.865
0.829
0.794

0.967
0.929
0.892
0.856
0.821

0.995
0.957
0.920
0.884
0.849

1.024
0.986
0.949
0.913
0.878

1.053
1.015
0.979
0.942
0.907

1.084
1.046
1.009
0.973
0.938

1.116
1.079
1.042
1.006
0.970

1.151
1.113
1.076
1.040
1.005

1.188
1.150
1.113
1.077
1.042

1.229
1.191
1.154
1.118
1.083

1.276
1.238
1.201
1.165
1.130

1.337
1.299
1.262
1.226
1.191

1.479
1.441
1.405
1.368
1.333

61
62
63
64
65

0.549
0.515
0.483
0.451
0.419

0.575
0.541
0.509
0.477
0.445

0.601
0.567
0.535
0.503
0.471

0.627
0.593
0.561
0.529
0.497

0.653
0.620
0.587
0.555
0.523

0.679
0.646
0.613
0.581
0.549

0.706
0.672
0.639
0.607
0.576

0.732
0.699
0.666
0.634
0.602

0.759
0.726
0.693
0.661
0.629

0.787
0.753
0.720
0.688
0.657

0.815
0.781
0.748
0.716
0.685

0.843
0.810
0.777
0.745
0.714

0.873
0.839
0.807
0.775
0.743

0.904
0.870
0.837
0.805
0.774

0.936
0.903
0.870
0.838
0.806

0.970
0.937
0.904
0.872
0.840

1.007
0.974
0.941
0.909
0.877

1.048
1.015
0.982
0.950
0.919

1.096
1.062
1.030
0.998
0.966

1.157
1.123
1.090
1.058
1.027

1.299
1.265
1.233
1.201
1.169

66
67
68
69
70

0.388
0.358
0.328
0.299
0.270

0.414
0.384
0.354
0.325
0.296

0.440
0.410
0.380
0.351
0.322

0.466
0.436
0.406
0.377
0.348

0.492
0.462
0.432
0.403
0.374

0.519
0.488
0.459
0.429
0.400

0.545
0.515
0.485
0.456
0.427

0.572
0.541
0.512
0.482
0.453

0.599
0.568
0.539
0.509
0.480

0.626
0.596
0.566
0.537
0.508

0.654
0.624
0.594
0.565
0.536

0.683
0.652
0.623
0.593
0.565

0.712
0.682
0.652
0.623
0.594

0.743
0.713
0.683
0.654
0.625

0.775
0.745
0.715
0.686
0.657

0.810
0.779
0.750
0.720
0.692

0.847
0.816
0.787
0.757
0.729

0.888
0.857
0.828
0.798
0.770

0.935
0.905
0.875
0.846
0.817

0.996
0.966
0.936
0.907
0.878

1.138
1.108
1.078
1.049
1.020

71
72
73
74
75

0.242
0.214
0.186
0.159
0.132

0.268
0.240
0.212
0.185
0.158

0.294
0.266
0.238
0.211
0.184

0.320
0.292
0.264
0.237
0.210

0.346
0.318
0.290
0.263
0.236

0.372
0.344
0.316
0.289
0.262

0.398
0.370
0.343
0.316
0.289

0.425
0.397
0.370
0.342
0.315

0.452
0.424
0.396
0.369
0.342

0.480
0.452
0.424
0.397
0.370

0.508
0.480
0.452
0.425
0.398

0.536
0.508
0.481
0.453
0.426

0.566
0.538
0.510
0.483
0.456

0.597
0.569
0.541
0.514
0.487

0.629
0.601
0.573
0.546
0.519

0.663
0.635
0.608
0.580
0.553

0.700
0.672
0.645
0.617
0.590

0.741
0.713
0.686
0.658
0.631

0.789
0.761
0.733
0.706
0.679

0.849
0.821
0.794
0.766
0.739

0.992
0.964
0.936
0.909
0.882

76
77
78
79
80

0.105
0.079
0.052
0.026
0.000

0.131
0.105
0.078
0.052
0.026

0.157
0.131
0.104
0.078
0.052

0.183
0.157
0.130
0.104
0.078

0.209
0.183
0.156
0.130
0.104

0.235
0.209
0.183
0.156
0.130

0.262
0.235
0.209
0.183
0.157

0.288
0.262
0.236
0.209
0.183

0.315
0.289
0.263
0.236
0.210

0.343
0.316
0.290
0.264
0.238

0.371
0.344
0.318
0.292
0.266

0.400
0.373
0.347
0.320
0.294

0.429
0.403
0.376
0.350
0.324

0.460
0.433
0.407
0.381
0.355

0.492
0.466
0.439
0.413
0.387

0.526
0.500
0.474
0.447
0.421

0.563
0.537
0.511
0.484
0.458

0.605
0.578
0.552
0.525
0.499

0.652
0.626
0.599
0.573
0.547

0.713
0.686
0.660
0.634
0.608

0.855
0.829
0.802
0.776
0.750

0.000

0.026
0.000

0.052
0.026
0.000

0.078
0.052
0.026
0.000

0.104
0.078
0.052
0.026
0.000

0.131
0.105
0.079
0.053
0.026

0.157
0.131
0.105
0.079
0.053

0.184
0.158
0.132
0.106
0.080

0.212
0.186
0.160
0.134
0.107

0.240
0.214
0.188
0.162
0.135

0.268
0.242
0.216
0.190
0.164

0.298
0.272
0.246
0.220
0.194

0.329
0.303
0.277
0.251
0.225

0.361
0.335
0.309
0.283
0.257

0.395
0.369
0.343
0.317
0.291

0.432
0.406
0.380
0.354
0.328

0.473
0.447
0.421
0.395
0.369

0.521
0.495
0.469
0.443
0.417

0.581
0.556
0.530
0.503
0.477

0.724
0.698
0.672
0.646
0.620

0.000

0.027
0.000

0.054
0.027
0.000

0.081
0.054
0.027
0.000

0.109
0.082
0.055
0.028
0.000

0.138
0.111
0.084
0.057
0.029

0.167
0.141
0.114
0.086
0.058

0.198
0.172
0.145
0.117
0.089

0.230
0.204
0.177
0.149
0.121

0.265
0.238
0.211
0.184
0.156

0.302
0.275
0.248
0.221
0.193

0.343
0.316
0.289
0.262
0.234

0.390
0.364
0.337
0.309
0.281

0.451
0.424
0.397
0.370
0.342

0.593
0.567
0.540
0.512
0.484

0.000

0.030
0.000

0.060
0.031
0.000

0.093
0.063
0.032
0.000

0.127
0.097
0.067
0.034
0.000

0.164
0.134
0.104
0.071
0.037

0.205
0.175
0.145
0.112
0.078

0.253
0.223
0.192
0.160
0.126

0.313
0.284
0.253
0.220
0.186

0.456
0.426
0.395
0.363
0.329

0.000

0.041
0.000

0.089
0.048
0.000

0.149
0.108
0.061
0.000

0.292
0.251
0.203
0.142

81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99

100

0.000