This piece was originally published in the January/February 2019 issue of electroindustry.

Gerard Winstanley, Program Manager, NEMA

The NEMA Capacitor Section is initiating a project to develop a new Standard for direct current power capacitors rated ½ kVAR and larger. The Capacitor Section is part of the Utility Products & Systems Division and covers the use of power capacitors for power factor improvement and harmonic filtering.

Power capacitors are used in power generation, transmission and distribution, and industrial applications.

The need for a dc capacitor Standard stems from the growth of renewable energy and the requirements for managing the dc power generated by wind turbines and photovoltaic systems. DC capacitors are used in the transmission and distribution of HVDC power and for other growth applications, including storage batteries, dc motors, variable frequency drives, and data control centers.

The Capacitor Section is looking for input and support from the electroindustry. For more information, contact Gerard Winstanley at gerard.winstanley@nema.org or 703.841.3231.