Electrical power is an intrinsic and essential part of modern life. It is generated and delivered across miles to power homes and businesses,operate a wide range of equipment and devices. We take power for granted, rarely bothering to ask “how good is the quality ofthe power I am using?”; “am I using it correctly?”; “is my equipment compatible to function with the power provided?” etc.

1. POWER QUALITY MANAGEMENT
Electrical power is an intrinsic and essential part of modern life. It is generated and
delivered across miles to power homes and businesses,operate a wide range of
equipment and devices. We take power for granted, rarely bothering to ask “how good is
the quality ofthe power I am using?”; “am I using it correctly?”; “is my equipment
compatible to function with the power provided?” etc.
Yet power quality can be the key to saving energy bills, improving productivity and the
lifespan of your machinery.
Read on to know more about this crucial aspect of electrical power distribution and
usage.
WHAT IS POWER QUALITY?
As per Wikipedia’s power quality definition, ‘Electric power quality is the degree to
which the voltage, frequency, and waveform of a power supply system conform to
established specifications. Good power quality can be defined as a steady supply voltage
that stays within the prescribed range, steady a.c. frequency close to the rated value, and
smooth voltage curve waveform (resembles a sine wave). In general, it is useful to
consider power quality as the compatibility between what comes out of an electric outlet
and the load that is plugged into it. The term is used to describe electric power that drives
an electrical load and the load’s ability to function properly. Without the proper power, an
electrical device (or load) may malfunction, fail prematurely or not operate at all. There
are many ways in which electric power can be of poor quality and many more causes of
such poor quality power.’

2. Power quality has a huge impact on the performance and cost of a power system. So it
is necessary to make sure that the power coming in is of the right quality and that your
machines are set to function properly with the power they are supplied.As modern
equipment gets increasingly sensitive to any changes in power quality, and as
governments enforce policies regarding power quality, utilities, manufacturers,
enterprises and consumers – all have to be aware and concerned about power quality
issues.
SYMPTOMS OF POOR POWER QUALITY
It’s time for an in-depth Power Quality Audit if your building or enterprise suffers from any
of the following:
• Short or extensive power interruptions
• Noisy electrical equipment
• Voltage sags
• Voltage surges
• Harmonic distortion
• High-speed transients
• Ground loops
• Damage from lightening
An audit will identify hidden problems and the resultant actions will, over time, make a
significant difference to a company’s energy consumption and energy bills.
Installation of a power quality analyzer will enable power quality
monitoring and power quality analysis on a continuous basis. This helps energy
experts to pinpoint problem areas and resolve power quality problems so as to make
power supply more reliable and energy usage more efficient.
HARMONICS IN POWER QUALITY
There are a number of electrical devices that have nonlinear operating characteristics.
These nonlinear devices used in power distribution circuits create nonlinear currents and

3. which subsequently causes voltage distortions. These nonlinear currents and voltages
are generally referred to as harmonic currents and voltages.
Harmonic currents and voltages can cause many unfavourable effects on the power
system and the connected loads. These include malfunctioning of electronic equipment,
capacitor failure, transformer and neutral conductor overheating, excessive heating in
rotating machinery, etc.
The proliferation of electronic switching devices in modern equipment has resulted in a
significant increase in the amount of harmonic pollution in the electrical distribution
systems. Some nonlinear loads include:
• LED, CFL Lighting
• Power supply units (computers)
• Variable speed drives
• SCR Rectifier UPS
• Arc furnaces & SCR temperature controllers
• Battery chargers & Rectifiers
NEED FOR GOOD POWER QUALITY
The increased use of automation and electronic devices; the sensitivity of the vast
majority of processes and equipment (industrial, commercial, healthcare, services and
even residential) to PQ problems turns the availability of electric power with quality is a
crucial factor for competitiveness in every sphere of business activity. Today any
interruption of business operations due to poor power quality has a direct impact on the
profitability of an enterprise. The most critical areas are the continuous process industry
and the information technology services.
Insufficient power quality can inflict serious losses on business and economy. In the
worst-case scenario, it may pose a threat to human life in mission critical applications
and highly sensitive environments, such as hospitals.
Power quality improvement allows you to optimise and reduce power consumption –
saving money on your electricity bill and thereby, your carbon footprint. Direct savings to
consumers come from lower energy cost and reactive power tariffs. Indirect savings are
gained by avoiding circumstances such as damage and premature aging of equipment,
loss of production or loss of data and work.

4. It also reduces the risk of equipment overheating, malfunctioning or breakdown, and
minimises ‘wear and tear’ so your equipment works better and lasts longer.
Messung brings Janitza, the world’s leading energy management technology to India.
Janitza offers a comprehensive product range for power quality monitoring, energy
management and residual current monitoring – in a single system environment.
Messung, in partnership with Janitza, delivers customised solutions to enable power
conservation, optimise power consumption and improve quality of power. By leveraging
the power of IoT, we ensure connectivity and real-time data analyses for prompt,
informed decision making.
To ensure high-quality power for your business, invest in Janitza’s cutting-edge power
quality analyzer, energy measurement devices and GridVis software for effective
energy management that will help you optimise energy efficiency, reduce power bills,
minimise downtime and enhance productivity of your enterprise.

5. MESSUNG SYSTEMS PVT. LTD
PUNE (HO),501, 502, 503, Lunkad Sky Vista,Viman Nagar, Pune - 411014, India.
Tel: +91 20 66492800 www.messungelectricalengineering.com Email:info@messung.com