Chapter 6
Power Quality Issues
Power Quality Background
Why Is It Such a Concern?
Many people blame the power utility for degrading power when, in most cases, the problem is caused by poor power distribution within a facility. Equipment such as computers, TVs, phone systems, alarm systems, process controls and even the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system in your building use microprocessor technology to function. As a result, you must ensure that your electrical environment has good power to ensure reliable system operation.
Studies have found that most power line disturbances are caused by the equipment being operated inside a building and that few are utility generated. Lightning, wildlife, and human contact with transmission lines are the major contributors to power line disturbances on the distribution grid.
Major causes of power line disturbances in a building are:
∙Overloaded circuits
∙Power factor correction capacitors
∙Fast switching of large loads
∙Incorrect or poor wiring connections
The Effects of Poor Power Quality within Your Organization
Power line disturbances can cause far more trouble than just equipment damage. By looking at it from a cost perspective, one can see that there is a far larger loss from poor power quality.
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