Why Does an APFC Panel Keep Switching? Causes of Capacitor Step Hunting and How to Stop It In commercial buildings, manufacturing plants, and distribution substations, Automatic Power Factor Correction (APFC) panels are deployed to maintain target power factor (typically 0.95 to 0.98 lagging) and avoid costly utility reactive power penalties. An APFC panel relies on a microprocessor-based power fa...
Power Factor Explained: Why Capacitor Banks Overcorrect at Light Load The same capacitor bank that improves power factor during full production can push a facility into leading power factor when the load falls. This overcompensation often appears at night, on weekends, or after large motors stop while capacitors remain connected. A meter may remain close to 1.00, but “leading,” “...