What is a power quality analyzer?

Why is power quality so important?

Low power quality simply increases energy expenses, not to mention the wear and tear on any machine or equipment. When energy is inefficiently used, there is an increase in power consumption. It also leads to utilities imposing additional financial penalties as a result of high peak demand and inadequate power factor. In layman’s terms, low power quality raises the cost of maintenance and repairs because equipment fails or is destroyed.

Poor power quality has three major consequences: downtime, equipment difficulties, and energy expenses.

How Does a Power Quality Analyzer Help?

The Power Quality Analyzer was created with the primary intention of discovering power quality concerns. It operates by selectively sampling the alternating current voltage at various places along a waveform shape. It then digitizes all points or values and employs a computer to do a numerical analysis (which results in harmonic frequency magnitudes).

A power quality analyzer can consistently compute and show typical power values while monitoring current, giving you a complete view of how your system works and where it fails horribly. It is important to realize, however, that not all PQAs are the same. Some are exclusively meant to assess single-phase systems, while others are geared to evaluate three-phase systems. As a result, it is critical that you utilize a PQA that is both design and maintenance-compatible with your electrical system.

Here are some key aspects to consider while looking for the best power quality analyzer:

Determine your system’s overall power. Is it three-phase or single-phase? Is there a solar panel involved?

Do you need logging and/or networking features?

What kinds of values do you wish to see shown on the device’s screen?

What voltage events do you want to record (for example, dips and swells, flickers, harmonics, transients, and so on)?

Do you want to know about additional metrics or computations, such as crest factor, power inverter efficiency, and so on?

What specifications are you searching for in a power quality evaluator?

Keep in mind that poor power quality may always lead to wasted energy, which equals higher expenditures. Use a power quality assessor to see the true impact it can make.