The economies of power quality

Abstract

The subject of power quality embraces a very wide and diverse field of both system and customer problems. There are many requirements for appropriate solutions, from simple power factor corrections of a load to sophisticated load flow control in a high-voltage transmission system. It can be simply defined as the quality of power supplied to the end user. The evaluation of power quality improvement alternatives is an exercise in economics. Utility engineers must evaluate the economic impacts of the power quality variations against the costs of improving performance for the different available alternatives. The best choice will depend on the costs of the solution and its total operating costs. Improving facility performance during power quality variations can result in significant savings and can be a competitive advantage. Therefore, it is important for customers and suppliers to work together in identifying the best alternative for achieving the required level of performance.