APFC Panels

Automatic Power Factor Correction panels that optimize energy consumption and reduce electricity bills.

Automatic Power Factor Correction (APFC) Panels in Kenya

Panel Tech Systems manufactures Automatic Power Factor Correction (APFC) panels that help industrial and commercial facilities optimize their power factor, reduce electricity bills, and avoid Kenya Power penalties.

Why Power Factor Correction Matters

Higher Electricity Bills — Kenya Power charges a surcharge for power factor below 0.90
Increased Line Losses — Higher current causes more losses in cables and transformers
Reduced Capacity — Transformers and cables carry reactive power instead of useful power
Voltage Drops — Poor power factor causes voltage drops affecting equipment performance

How Our APFC Panels Work

Our APFC panels use intelligent microprocessor-based controllers that continuously monitor the power factor and automatically switch capacitor banks in and out as needed:

The APFC controller measures real-time power factor at the main bus
When power factor drops below the target (typically 0.95-0.99), the controller switches on capacitor stages
As load reduces, excess capacitor stages are automatically disconnected
The system maintains optimal power factor 24/7 without manual intervention

Panel Specifications

Our APFC panels are available in ratings from 50kVAR to 1000kVAR with 6 to 14 stages. All panels include heavy-duty capacitors rated for tropical conditions, capacitor duty contactors with pre-charging resistors, HRC fuse protection, detuning reactors for harmonic-rich environments, and digital power factor controllers with LCD display.

Key Features

Maintain power factor 0.95-0.99

Avoid Kenya Power surcharges

50kVAR to 1000kVAR capacity

6 to 14 automatic stages

Microprocessor-based controllers

Heavy-duty tropical-rated capacitors

Detuning reactors for harmonics

Real-time power factor display

Automatic capacitor switching

Quick ROI through bill savings

Need APFC Panels?

Talk to our engineers for a customized solution tailored to your requirements.

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Our Services

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Quick Contact

0799 531765 [email protected]

Frequently Asked Questions about APFC Panels

APFC is a control system that monitors a plant's real-time power factor and automatically switches stages of a capacitor bank in and out to keep the power factor close to a target value (typically 0.95). It eliminates KPLC's power factor penalty, reduces apparent-power demand-charge billing, and protects motors and switchgear from circulating reactive currents.

Size against the maximum-demand kW and the present power factor. For a 300 kW load at PF 0.80, the required kVAr to reach 0.95 PF is 300 × 0.421 = 126 kVAr. We use the standard multiplier table (see our kVAr sizing guide) and divide into 5–10 switching stages so the controller can track varying load.

Yes — if VFD or any non-linear load is more than about 20% of total load. Without detuned reactors, the capacitor banks resonate with the 5th and 7th harmonic, drawing very high currents that destroy the capacitors within months. Detuned reactors shift the system resonant frequency below the 5th harmonic and absorb harmonic current safely.

For a typical industrial site running below 0.85 PF, payback is 9–18 months from KPLC penalty elimination alone. When the demand-charge reduction (smaller kVA peak after correction) is included, payback often drops below 12 months. Larger plants and worse starting PF give faster paybacks.

Capacitors degrade over time — typical commercial-grade capacitors have a service life of 10–15 years when properly protected by detuned reactors and not subjected to over-voltage. We recommend annual capacitance and kVAr testing as part of preventive maintenance, with stage-by-stage replacement when individual capacitors fall below 90% of rated kVAr.