Investigating the power quality of an electrical distribution system stressed by non-linear domestic appliances

Power quality has become a matter of growing concern in recent years owing to a daily rise in use of non-linear loads at domestic level. In addition, fast growing technologies like distributed generation and electric vehicles are emerging as part of modern distribution systems. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate and analyze the power quality issues due to various non-linear home appliances to give a clear picture of the current scenario. So that future technologies can be accommodated in the distribution systems while coping with existing power quality issues. The experimentally developed harmonic models, of various commonly deployed domestic appliances, are used for the simulation of a practical distribution system in Electrical Transient Analyzer Program (ETAP). Experimental results combined with simulation results show an alarmingly high level of harmonic distortion, breaching the recommended standard practices, in both current and voltage at not only point of common coupling (PCC) but also at the consumer’s end. In addition to increase in losses, this also degrades power factor giving rise to distortion power. While discussing other impacts of harmonic distortion, true power factor (PF true) and distortion power (D) has also been evaluated at PCC.