subject: Find Out What You Need To Know With A Power Quality Survey [print this page] Power quality is basically the stability and performance of the power received at the point of delivery by the power company. It takes into consideration a number of variables like harmonics and waveform distortions. With the speed at which technological advancements are taking place the necessity for a power quality survey is becoming more of a requirement than ever before. The EEE has prescribed guidelines and standards for utilities, manufacturers, end users of power or electrical equipment.
Some equipment can be sensitive to short fluctuations in voltage or can produce a degradation to the overall power quality in the power system if not taken into consideration. In some circumstances, poor power quality can cause as much of a problem as power outages. Whether it is from poor operation of equipment or an incompatibility between the supply of power and the equipment, power quality can be a huge problem.
The best thing that can be done in these situations is to contact your power provider and request a power quality survey.
In some circumstances, the power company will dispatch technicians to your location with specialized equipment that will monitor power consumption over a period of time. These devices will collect a great deal of information that, in turn, will be interpreted by technicians to determine how the power quality for each individual company and in some cases equipment can be delivered and maintained. It might be something as simple as having a larger amount of power available for certain operations or it might require more complex solutions such as specialized equipment to calibrate the power supply to the equipment on an ongoing basis.
As always, the best defense is a good offense. In this case, it is best to avoid the power quality issue by making sure that all equipment is installed properly and checking to see if it is compatible with the power supply. Checking the technical specifications of the equipment at purchase and comparing them with the power supply system in your business will help ensure that you don't encounter a problem with your power supply. If you have done this and still have poor power quality, then it is of supreme importance that you contact your power provider and request a power quality survey.
To prepare for the power quality survey there are a number of things that you can do to help in the gathering of information. Try to record the dates and times of the issue(s) as they occur; if you have the ability, take voltage readings and record the results. Keep track and see if you can find a pattern for times of day of if it seems to be a random occurrence. Make a list of the areas and equipment that are affected by the incident. If there is a particular piece of equipment that is affect most often, speak to a representative from the company of manufacture to inquire if the problem is being reported by other customers or if there are any known issues with the equipment.
Poor power supply can be more than an aggravation; it can cost time, labor, and money. If you suspect poor power quality might be behind some of you problems call your power provider and set up a power quality survey in the near future.
