Professional Assessment of Electricity Supply Quality and Power Factor Management in Ibadan Industrial Zone

Poor electricity supply quality characterized by voltage fluctuations, harmonic distortion, and low power factor creates economic losses for industrial consumers and accelerates equipment failure. This study conducts a professional assessment of supply quality parameters and power factor management practices in fifteen industrial facilities in the Ibadan Industrial Estate, Oyo State, South West Nigeria. A calibrated three-phase power quality analyzer was installed at the main incoming supply panel of each facility for a one-week continuous monitoring period. Parameters recorded include voltage total harmonic distortion, current total harmonic distortion, power factor, voltage sag frequency, and frequency deviation. Simultaneously, structured interviews with facility electrical engineers assessed awareness of power factor penalties, reactive power compensation equipment deployment, and harmonic filter installation status. Results indicate that voltage total harmonic distortion exceeded the IEEE 519 recommended limit of 5 percent in nine facilities, primarily due to variable speed drive proliferation without harmonic filtering. Power factor measurements below 0.85 were recorded in eleven facilities, exposing them to reactive power penalty charges from the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company. The study calculates the annual financial penalty burden attributable to poor power factor and estimates the payback period for capacitor bank installation at each affected facility. Professional recommendations address specific power factor correction capacitor sizing, harmonic filter specifications, and engagement with the electricity distribution company for tariff structure optimization. Keywords: power quality, power factor, harmonic distortion, Ibadan Industrial Zone, electricity supply