Driven by political policies, electric distribution grids are undergoing fast and fundamental changes in many countries worldwide. Turning from centralised generation to distributed generation based on renewable resources, the proliferation of energy-efficient equipment using power electronic frontends or the introduction of new equipment technologies like LED lighting, PV inverters and electric vehicles are just a few examples. Combining distributed generation and battery electric storage systems enables new strategies for minimising energy consumption or peak power shaving and considerably improves the flexibility of distribution grids. Their impact on Power Quality is often underestimated or even not considered, which results in an observable increase in interference phenomena. After a brief introduction to the concepts of network disturbances, Electromagnetic Compatibility and Power Quality, this lecture presents a set of practical examples based on field and laboratory measurements illustrating the impact of recent technologies on different Power Quality phenomena, both from the grid- and equipment side. It identifies the importance of holistic approaches, including Power Quality, for the reliable operation of future distribution grids.

View the 72nd Bernard Price Memorial Lecture on the SAIEE YouTube Channel, SAIEETV, now: