Power quality

Power quality is important for everyone

Electrical energy is a product that can have differences in quality. The quality of electrical energy is defined by the voltage: In a low-voltage network is should have an exact sine form, be, for example, 230 volts in Germany and many other countries, and have a constant frequency of 50 Hz. Utility companies can produce a product with these values and then feed it into the network, but the consumer will never receive this ideal current.

The reason for this lies with the consumers, since their utilization of energy has an influence on the power quality. Devices such as frequency converters, switching power supplies, and other power electronics can, in some cases, cause large harmonic oscillations. These devices are used more and more frequently, as electronics have spread to almost all areas of business. Harmonic oscillations result in additional voltage in the network. In the past decade, power quality decreased worldwide, almost unnoticed by the public. The consequences are unspecific, which is why affected parties often do not realize that the problem is due to poor power quality. In fact, energy quality is a strategic issue for companies. The consequences can often be extremely expensive for system operators. Typical effects in companies and public institutions include:

Overheated motors and lines
Energy losses resulting from harmonic content and reactive power
Increased wear on power packs and other components
Device and system failures
Computer and network failures
Lines and networks that cannot be fully used
High energy costs for no apparent reason
Quality problems due to disturbed electronic controls

Increased use of power electronics decreases power quality.