APFC Panel
Every month your power factor drops below 0.90, your DISCOM charges you a penalty on the entire bill. A correctly sized Subtech APFC panel eliminates that penalty, frees up transformer capacity, and pays for itself in under 18 months.
What is an APFC Panel and Why Do You Need One?
Every motor, transformer, chiller, and welding machine in your facility draws two types of current from the grid: real current that does useful work, and reactive current that does nothing useful but still flows through your cables, transformer, and meter.
Power factor is the ratio of useful to total current. A power factor of 1.0 means every amp you draw is working. A power factor of 0.72 means 28 percent of your current is wasted, your transformer is carrying a load it should not need to carry, and your DISCOM is charging you for every unit of it.
Most state DISCOMs penalise industrial consumers when monthly average power factor drops below 0.90. In states that have moved to kVAh billing, a poor power factor inflates every unit you are billed for, every single month, with no cap.
An APFC panel solves this by continuously measuring how much reactive power your load is drawing and automatically switching capacitor banks into the circuit to supply that reactive power locally.
Why this matters for your facility
The Penalty Line on Your Bill Goes to Zero
Most DISCOMs charge 1 to 2 percent of your total bill for every 0.01 drop in power factor below 0.90.
kVAh Billing Penalises You Every Unit. APFC Fixes That.
Under kVAh tariff, now standard for industrial consumers in most states, your billed energy is apparent energy, not real energy.
Free Up Transformer and Cable Capacity
Improving power factor from 0.72 to 0.95 reduces your apparent power demand by approximately 24 percent.
Lower Cable and Transformer Losses
Reactive current heats your cables, busbars, and transformer windings without doing any useful work.
Detuned Reactors for Harmonic Environments
Standard capacitors fail when installed in plants with VFDs, UPS systems, or large rectifier loads because harmonics cause resonance.
Smart Controllers That Do Not Hunt
L&T Etrak and EPCOS BR6000 controllers with multi-stage logic, hunting prevention, and automatic step-size detection.
Where Subtech panels are deployed
Industrial Plants
Foundries, textiles, pharma, food processing, and plastics plants with significant motor loads.
Commercial Buildings and IT Parks
HVAC chillers, lifts, and fluorescent lighting are inductive loads.
Hospitals
MRI, CT, X-ray, dialysis equipment, and large HVAC systems create a complex load. Detuned APFC with 7 percent reactors is the correct specification.
Cold Storage and Food Processing
Refrigeration compressors are among the most inductive loads in any facility.
Water Utilities and Pumping Stations
Pumping stations with VFD-driven motors need detuned APFC.
VFD-Heavy Manufacturing Plants
Modern plants with extensive VFD use generate 5th, 7th, 11th, and 13th order harmonics.
APFC Panel Configurations
Sized to your kVAr requirement and harmonic profile.
Standard APFC with Contactor Switching
Capacitor-rated contactors with damping reactors switch banks per the controller command.
Get quoteDetuned APFC with 7 Percent Reactor
Required for any plant with VFDs, variable speed drives, or rectifier loads.
Get quoteDetuned APFC with 14 Percent Reactor
Required where 3rd harmonic loads dominate: LED lighting plants, IT server rooms, large UPS installations.
Get quoteThyristor-Switched APFC
Sub-cycle power factor correction. No inrush current. Zero contactor wear.
Get quoteWhat Backs Every APFC Panel We Ship
Free PF Survey Before You Spend Anything
Share three months of electricity bills and we calculate your existing power factor, the exact kVAr required, and expected payback period.
Genuine EPCOS and Schneider Capacitors
Self-healing metallised polypropylene capacitors with internal over-pressure disconnect. Rated for 50 degree Celsius ambient.
Capacitor-Rated Contactors Only
Schneider, Siemens, and L&T contactors rated specifically for capacitor switching duty with built-in damping reactors.
Smart Controllers with Proven Track Records
L&T Etrak and EPCOS BR6000 with hunting prevention, automatic step detection, and Modbus communication.
Frequently asked questions
How much will an APFC panel save on my electricity bill?
What size of APFC panel do I need?
When do I need a detuned APFC panel?
What is the typical payback period for an APFC panel?
Ready to spec your automatic power factor correction?
Share your single-line diagram, load list or three months of electricity bills. Our engineers will respond with a custom BOM, quote and delivery schedule within 24 hours.