A capacitor (originally known as a condenser) is a passive electrical component used to store energy electrostatically. Multiple capacitors connected together are considered a capacitor bank. Unlike a resistor, a capacitor does not dissipate energy, instead, a capacitor stores energy in the form of an electrostatic field between its plates and is used to store and release electricity in controlled amounts. In electric power distribution, capacitors are used for power factor correction. Usually the capacitance value is given in kilovolt-amperes reactive (kvar).