One of the most visible customer-facing challenges an electric utility can face comes in the form of voltage interruptions. From the short, fraction-of-a-second momentary to the prolonged, multi-hour (or even…
White Papers
Browse our library of power quality technical resources.
450 white papers
Real-Time Voltage Interruption Detection and Alerting
Utility situational awareness is critical with today's high customer expectations, increased regulatory scrutiny, and reliance on stable AC power. Voltage interruption/outage detection is the most basic, and usually the most…
Low-Energy Lighting and Power Quality
In this paper I reviewed the effects that Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL), Light Emitting Diodes (LED), and halogen lighting have on power quality. The CFLs and some LEDs present a…
Key Issues with DG/DER Monitoring
The dramatic increase in distributed generation (DG), distributed energy resources (DER), and net metering scenarios brings sweeping, unplanned changes to the grid model. Local generation is often unpredictable, and sudden…
Case Study of Portable Generator Power Quality
In this paper, power quality data taken from several different generators is reviewed. Standby and portable generators can be very important for backing up essential systems when utility power isn’t…
Advanced Harmonic Analysis Through Bulk ProVision Exports
The IEEE 519-2014 harmonic standard calls for several advanced data analysis procedures. Some of these, especially when combining with data from other devices, may be performed in Excel or Matlab.…
Detecting Loose Neutrals with a Receptacle PQ Monitor
Loose/open neutrals can present a dangerous and even life-threatening situation in a residential service. The classic voltage symptoms suggesting this condition are one single-phase leg rising in voltage, the other…
PQ Recording Templates
This whitepaper describes the use and customization of PQ recording templates in PQ Canvass, iPowerPad, and in the ProVision software. PMI recording devices can be initialized with many different configurable…
Spotting Loose Neutrals with Waveform Capture
A "loose neutral" in a residential location can cause equipment damage and even a house fire. An open neutral may start as a high resistance connection that shows subtle signs…
Wireless Power Quality
The time and cost of deploying PQ instrumentation only to return later in order to retrieve it (without the guarantee that the PQ anomaly has occurred) is often times exorbitant.…
A Simplified Approach to IEEE 519 Harmonics
IEEE 519-2014 specifies measurements, analysis methods, and limits for harmonic voltage and current. A full IEEE 519 study is a straightforward, but rigorous analysis that can require multiple recordings and…
Understanding IEEE 1159 Definitions
It is very important to have recommended guidelines and practices in place regarding power quality monitoring with the use of consistent terminology and definitions of power quality phenomena. This is…