Phase angle difference between voltage waveform and current waveform determines the power factor. With inductive load current waveform lags and with capacitive loads it leads the voltage waveform. Power factor near to unity can be obtained by switching on required capacitors to neutralise lagging kvar. Modern power networks with wide variety of electrical and power electronic load for required load patterns it becomes impossible to use fixed capacitors with manual control, because it can lead to poor power factor either on leading or lagging side. With automatic power factor this problem is eliminated since the system is all the time observing the power factor of the load and takes the corrective action to switch on/off the capacitors. Up till now these panels were considered as the device to avoid the penalty, but now the electricity boards have started giving attractive rebate for maintaining higher pf for example mseb gives 1% rebate in energy consumed for every 1% pf maintained above 0.95. So these panels can be called as money generating panels. These panels are available as standard panels from 50 kvar to 400 kvar to meet all the industrial, commercial and residential loads. Tailor made panels are offered as integral of pcc or mcc to decrease the capital investment cost and better energy saving.
