Power Factor Monitoring and Control Monitoring power factor is useful in a number of applications. One application is using the power factor as an indicator of mechanical load on the motor. This is especially useful for smaller, lightly loaded motors where the current change isn't sufficient to reliably detect. A good example of this is monitoring brush pressure in a car wash. Another application is monitoring power factor in order to reduce energy costs and utility penalties. Carlo Gavazzi meters and transducers allow for monitoring of power factor and providing an Analog or serial signal (RS232/RS485) which can be input into a PLC. The PLC program is then responsible for the logic portion of the control.