Innovative Method for Power Factor Correction using a Solar Plant as a Source of Reactive Power

Abstract

Due to the low power factor of an electrical system there is a high demand of reactive power from the transformers which results in overloading of the transformers. Traditionally, this problem is solved by adding a capacitor in parallel with the load in order to correct the power factor. In this paper a new innovative method which utilizes the solar plant at night when it is idling or during the day when it is not producing real power. During these times a solar plant is used as a source of reactive power, the inverters used in solar plants are capable of being used as a source of reactive power. The case study used to test this innovative method is a food processing plant with multiple transformers. The results show that it is possible to use a solar plant for power factor correction and hence relieve the transformers from overloading issues.