TABLE OF CONTENTS The subject of power quality is very broad by nature. It covers all aspects of power system engineering, from transmission and distribution level analyses to end-user problems. Therefore, electric power quality has become the concern of utilities, end users, architects, and civil engineers as well as manufacturers. These professionals must work together in developing solutions to power quality problems:
Electric utility managers and designers must build and operate systems that take into account the interaction between customer facilities and power system. Electric utilities must understand the sensitivity of the end-use equipment to the quality of voltage.
Customers must learn to respect the rights of their neighbors and control the quality of their nonlinear loads. Studies show that the best and the most efficient solution to power quality problems is to control them at their source. Customers can perform this by careful selection and control of their nonlinear loads and by taking appropriate actions to control and mitigate single-time disturbances and harmonics before connecting their loads to the power system.
Architects and civil engineers must design buildings to minimize the susceptibility and vulnerability of electrical components to power quality problems.
Manufacturers and equipment engineers must design devices that are compatible with the power system. This might mean a lower level of harmonic generation or less sensitivity to voltage distortions.
Engineers must be able to devise ride-through capabilities of distributed generators (e.g., wind and solar generating plants).
This chapter introduces the subject of electric power quality.
