What is the purpose of a capacitor bank in electrical systems?

A capacitor bank serves primarily to provide reactive power support in electrical systems, which is essential for maintaining and improving the power factor. Reactive power is necessary in alternating current (AC) systems to create magnetic fields for devices such as motors and transformers, enabling them to operate efficiently. By using capacitor banks, the system can compensate for the inductive loads that may cause the power factor to be less than optimal, leading to higher energy costs and potential penalties from utility providers.

Improving the power factor with capacitor banks enhances the overall efficiency of the electrical system. It helps reduce losses in the distribution system and can allow for increased capacity utilization of the existing infrastructure, ultimately leading to cost savings and improved reliability.

While the other choices refer to important concepts related to electrical systems, they do not accurately describe the primary role of a capacitor bank. Generating electrical energy pertains to sources like generators, storing excess energy is characteristic of batteries or supercapacitors rather than capacitor banks, and regulating voltage levels is typically managed by voltage regulators or transformers rather than capacitors alone.