In this blog I will try to clarify the difference between Volt-ampere and Watt. It is a bit confusing at times, but it is not the same. Below I will give examples about a 1-phase installation 230V. In the first example I connect a lamp of 100W, and in the second example a motor of 100W.

To give you a little more information before we write down all kinds of tricky formulas, it is good to know 3 words and their meaning;

1) Ohmic load (also referred to as 'R')
Ohmic load is understood to mean that the current and voltage are in harmony with each other. The sine of the current curve is not shifted from the sine of the voltage curve. An ohmic load is, for example, a resistor, an incandescent lamp, a halogen lamp and a heating element.
(Ohmic load can be dimmed with our Casambi dimmers)

2) Inductive load (also referred to as 'L')
Inductive load is understood to mean that the sine of the current curve lags behind the sine of the voltage curve. An inductive load is for example a coil, electric motor or a transformer with copper windings. These are loads that work with magnetic fields and have soft iron packages. They often betray themselves because they are 'heavy'.
(inductive load may not be dimmed with our Casambi dimmers)

3) Capacitive load (also referred to as 'C')
Capacitive load is understood to mean that the sine of the current curve is ahead of the sine of the voltage curve. A capacitive load is, for example, a capacitor, a driver or an electronic transformer.
(Capacitive load can be dimmed with our Casambi dimmers)

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