tehonottotekijät
Tehonottotekijät, often translated as "power factor" in English, refers to the ratio of real power to apparent power in an electrical system. Real power, measured in watts (W), is the power that performs useful work, such as heating or running a motor. Apparent power, measured in volt-amperes (VA), is the total power supplied to a circuit, including both real power and reactive power. Reactive power, measured in volt-amperes reactive (VAR), is the power that oscillates back and forth between the source and the load, and does not perform useful work.
A high tehonottotekijä, meaning close to 1, indicates that most of the power supplied is being used
In industrial and commercial settings, utilities often penalize customers with low tehonottotekijät through higher electricity bills.