Presented by Ben Clark, RESA Power Service

Power Factor Correction options are becoming more prevalent as we move to a distribution system with significant DER. It also remains a significant issue for our industrial customers when commissioning highly inductive loads; the cost of an uncorrected power factor can at times exceed the base power cost at a customer’s facility. Medium Voltage Capacitors’ main insulation system is composed mainly of oil-paper insulation. Therefore, it has the same limitations and concerns as medium voltage transformers in terms of insulation degradation. Typically, for indoor substations, the capacitor bank is placed within proximity or is directly attached to the main switchgear. If the equipment failed in-service, then significant costs for power factor violation and switchgear replacement could occur. This paper investigates the various methods for analyzing capacitors over time and developing a reliability program focused on indoor capacitor banks. Power Factor Values for Frequency Sweep and Tip-Up, Megger, Capacitance and more are discussed. Multiple scenarios are covered.