What is the power factor?

What is the power factor?

LED lighting offers many advantages over traditional lamps: it consumes less energy, lasts longer and does not contain potentially harmful gases. Despite the considerable benefits, LED lamps can also have disadvantages. A lamp with a low power factor can generate pollution and deteriorate the electrical system of our homes or offices.

The power factor of a light source indicates how much energy is redirected to our electrical network and is calculated by dividing the apparent power with the active one. For example, the power factor of an incandescent bulb is 1, so the apparent power and the active power are balanced. However, sometimes the power factor of the LED lighting products can be less than 1, for example, 0.3, where the apparent power is higher than the active one since the energy absorbed by a LED lamp is greater than that required by the lamp. Therefore part of the power is sent back to the electricity grid, generating reactive current, one of the main causes of grid pollution.

Luminaires calculation

Luminaires with a high wattage and certified quality often have an excellent power factor of between 0.9 and 1. In this case, the amount of pollution in the network is negligible. On the contrary, LED lighting products with a power lower than 25W tend to produce a much higher quantity. Today with the progressive increase in the number of people who choose LED lighting, the dangers of a low power factor become increasingly significant despite the effects are not directly visible in the electricity bill, as the consumption declared by a manufacturer of a light bulb coincides with the real and actual one.

A solution to reduce the indirect costs due to a low power factor would be to take into consideration the value of the power factor when you want to buy a new lighting device. An advisable value must be at least 0.7 for the bulbs. In the datasheet of each light source, you can find the relative power factor or an EAN code that you can use to read the data provided by the manufacturer. For further information or clarifications, please contact our Customer Service.


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