Coming from an engineering background, I realised that power factor is considered an obscure topic. In the most simplified terms, power factor is the ratio of the power drawn from the main supply against the power it actually utilizes. A simple analogy of this is illustrated below:
i.e power used to actually power the equipment vs the total power used in the entire circuitry to perform a task [infographic + analogy]
Why is Power Factor Important?
In an ideal situation, the energy supplied to a piece of equipment would equal to the energy it actually consumes, resulting in the power factor to be as close to 1.0. However, that is not the case with electronics. The electrical distribution in equipment leads to power losses within the circuitry.
What you have to understand is, that even though the power factor does not necessarily have an impact on your energy bills, it is accounted for at the power plant, due to wasted energy. And believe me, besides the environment, this indirectly affects how your systems function.
BECAUSE...
A lower power factor and the losses of power in the distribution system may lead to overheating and the premature failing of equipment - this is because a low power factor leads to increase in the current drawn by the equipment, which in turn causes distortions in the system, hence leading to the losses in power.
a higher power factor creates a stability in the power distribution of the system, hence avoiding related problems.
Setting The Benchmark For LED Drivers
As companies are on the search for sustainable systems and energies, the lighting industry being one of them, power factor correction needs to be highly considered, in order to work on minimizing the loss of energy caused due to an imbalance in electrical distribution.
LEDs are known for their high efficiency, long lifespan and diversity in terms of applications. LED luminaries work on a constant supply of DC current, hence requiring a driver to work. LED drivers today are built based on several factors; one of them being the power factor of the luminary; a higher power factor facilitates the optimization of other components (included in installation) vastly.
Since the world is moving towards a digital front, the lighting industry has stepped up its game, with deciding to step up the quality of their drivers and work on critical factors like the power factors of the drivers which operate the luminary.
At V-TAC, we have introduced an entire range of luminaries with high quality drivers, to ensure maximum convenience to you and the environment.
To know more about our Pro-Series, click here.
To understand more about our drivers and how they complement the functioning of our luminaries, click here.