Power Quality Assessment

There are normal disturbances on the distribution system that occur frequently as a result of system switching execution, lightning strikes, and other faults that are correctable.

Our Power Quality Assessment Program begins with a proactive approach. At the time of program initiation Dranetz-BMI power quality meters are placed at key Data Center locations and at the service entrance. The meters record any power quality information that includes voltage, current, power trends, harmonics, and voltage and current unbalance. The data is downloaded daily to a database that has power quality data archived. Daily reports are provided to our power quality engineers with information related to sags, swells, or transients that fall outside criteria. The engineer’s process evaluates the reports each day, to identify potential sources of the disturbance and any trends that might be established. Customers are then notified of corrective actions used to eliminate the root cause of each disturbance. In an instance where the customer’s system is identified as the source of the disturbance, Critical Power Systems provides assistance in seeking solutions to modify the customers system to avoid future disturbances.

This approach has been successful in identifying many Data Center issues such as open jumpers, load-tap changer contact failures, customer faults, equipment failures, and single phase fuse openings before they are discovered by the customer themselves.