Capacitor Bank Sizing and PFC Panel Design in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Power Factor Company provides capacitor bank sizing and PFC panel design in Saudi Arabia for plants, consultants and EPC contractors. From your bill or load list, an engineer calculates the kVAr you need, splits it into steps, chooses reactors and issues a sized design with drawings, ready to build or to submit for approval.
What you receive: a written design package with the kVAr calculation, step layout, reactor choice, single-line diagram and price within one working day of receiving your electricity bill or load list. Request a quotation
How is capacitor bank sizing done?
Sizing starts with three numbers: your active demand in kW, your present power factor and the power factor you want to reach. The bank must supply the difference in reactive power. The formula is kvar = kW x (tan of present angle - tan of target angle). We use the highest sustained demand from your bill, not the average, and we check it against the transformer rating so the bank is never larger than the load can use.
Two corrections matter in practice. A bank sized for peak demand will over-correct at night, so the step layout must let the panel shrink with the load. A bank connected to a network with drives needs reactors, which changes the capacitor voltage rating and the kvar delivered.
What do we need to start a design?
Send whichever of these you have. Your bill alone is enough to begin.
- one month of electricity billing, showing kW demand, kWh and the power factor or kVArh;
- a motor and load list with ratings and duty;
- the transformer rating and the supply voltage;
- a single-line diagram, and the location where the CTs will sit; and
- any harmonic readings, drive lists or a previous survey.
If the load changes sharply or drives are present and you have no readings, we recommend a power quality survey before we freeze the design. Our Italian technology partner, Elcontrol Energy Net, supplies the analysers we use for these surveys.
Capacitor bank sizing deliverables: what we deliver
The design package replaces guesswork with a file your consultant, estimator and electrician can all use.
| Item | Range / specification | Standard | Typical lead time |
|---|---|---|---|
| kVAr calculation sheet | Demand, present and target power factor, margin and result | IEC 60831; IEC 61921 | within one working day from a bill |
| Step layout | Number and size of steps matched to the load swing | Project specification | Included in design |
| Reactor and capacitor selection | Detuning percentage and capacitor voltage rating from harmonic data | IEC 60076-6; IEC 60831 | Included in design |
| Single-line diagram | Incomer, protection, steps, CT location | IEC 61439-1/-2 | Included in design |
| General arrangement drawing | Enclosure size, layout, cable entry, ventilation | IEC 61439-1/-2; IEC 60529 | Included in design |
| Bill-of-material | Components with brand and rating, built with ABB, Schneider Electric or Siemens as specified | IEC 60947-4-1 | Included in design |
Worked design sheet: 400 kW plant
The numbers below show the format of the sheet, with figures from an example plant, not a customer.
| Input or result | Value |
|---|---|
| Highest sustained demand | 400 kW |
| Present power factor | 0.78 (tan 0.802) |
| Target power factor | 0.95 (tan 0.329) |
| Required reactive power | 400 x (0.802 - 0.329) = 189 kvar |
| Selected bank | 200 kvar, rounded up to the next practical size |
| Step layout | 6 steps: 25 + 25 + 25 + 25 + 50 + 50 kvar |
| Network condition | Drives present, so 7% detuned reactors fitted |
This is how the sheet is read: the 189 kvar is the theoretical figure, and the 200 kvar bank gives margin for the highest demand. The six steps let the panel follow a load that falls to about one eighth of the peak. The rounding is done with the step layout in mind, not as an afterthought.
How many steps and what step size?
Small steps follow a changing load closely, and large steps cost less. We choose the smallest step so that switching it in cannot push the power factor past unity at the lowest load. We pair the steps with the controller, which needs enough outputs for the layout. A stable load can use a coarse layout, and a plant with a night shift, a canteen load and a chiller needs finer control. Where the power factor swings within seconds, a thyristor stage suits the fast part of the load.
How does the design process run?
- Enquiry. You send the bill, load list or consultant specification.
- Data check. We confirm voltage, transformer rating, CT location and space available.
- Calculation. We size the kvar and compare the result with your transformer and demand history.
- Design. We select steps, capacitor voltage, reactors, protection and enclosure.
- Review. You receive the calculation, single-line diagram and general arrangement for comments.
- Approval. We amend the drawings to your comments and submit the design package for approval.
- Build. After approval the panel is built in our Dammam workshops, with a test record.
- Support. Our commissioning engineer confirms the target and step sequence on site.
Who we design for
Saudi Power Factor Company has worked in Saudi Arabia since 2010 and is approved by Saudi Aramco, SABIC and the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu. We have worked on projects for all three, and our management systems are certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001. Consultants use the design package as a check on their own calculation. Plant engineers use it to compare quotations on a like-for-like basis, and EPC contractors use it to submit drawings early.
We have worked on projects for Saudi Aramco, SABIC and the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, in all regions of Saudi Arabia. Tell us your plant type and city in the quotation form, and we describe the scope closest to your design or sizing job.
Jubail is about 1 hour from Dammam and Riyadh about 4 hours by road; Jeddah and Yanbu are reached by air or road. Under the Saudi Electricity Company tariff: 0.90 is the minimum above 1 MVA contract load; we design to 0.95. If your concern is the charge itself, see power factor penalty for how the bill is read.
PFC panel design questions
Who provides capacitor bank sizing in Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Power Factor Company provides the sizing and design of PFC banks from its Dammam base, and builds the panel in its own Dammam workshops. We have been active since 2010 and are approved by Saudi Aramco, SABIC and the Royal Commission.
How much capacitor is required for power factor improvement?
It depends on your kW demand, present power factor and target. A 400 kW load rising from 0.78 to 0.95 needs about 189 kvar. Send your bill and we calculate the exact figure, then round it to practical step sizes and check it against the transformer.
What affects the cost of a sized PFC panel?
The main factors are total kvar, number of steps, whether reactors are needed, the enclosure and its IP rating, the controller and contactor make, and the testing and drawings required. The design package states the kvar first so you can compare quotations on the same basis.
How long does the design take?
Design time depends on how complete your data is and how many options you want compared. Our typical turnaround is within one working day for a sizing from a bill.
Do I need a survey before sizing?
Not always. A steady load with no drives can be sized from the bill. A load with drives, UPS units or sharp swings should be recorded first, which removes the risk of buying reactors or steps that do not suit the real load.
Can you check our consultant's sizing?
Yes. Send the consultant's calculation, load schedule and single-line diagram. We compare it with our own result, report any differences, and propose adjustments in a short compliance note before drawings are submitted.
Need capacitor bank sizing in Saudi Arabia? Send your bill or load list, and your sized design and quotation follow within one working day.
Email: inquiry@saudipowerfactor.com | Request a quotation