The study of how your electrical properties allow systems to function without losing performance or usable life could more properly be called “voltage quality”. That is what the term power quality actually describes. Power is just the energy that flows to your location, and the current that a given load demands is not very controllable.
What About Electrical Load?
The quality of power describes the power that will drive electrical loads, and their ability to perform properly with that amount of power. If your equipment doesn’t have the proper power levels, your electrical devices may fail before their lifespan should have indicated, or they may malfunction, or not operate, period. Electric power can actually have poor quality in many ways, and there are numerous causes for this.
The company that provides your electricity, that is your AC power, transmits and distributes electricity to a meter located at your company. Then it goes through your own wiring, until it reaches the device, or load. Your system is complex, and in the process of moving AC power from the production point to your location, there may be variations in demand, generation and weather, which can cause a compromised quality of your electrical supply.
Why Isn’t the Power Coming in Compatible with Your Equipment?
The quality of power is essentially a problem with compatibility. Is your equipment that is on the grid compatible with grid events, and is the power delivered compatible with your equipment? If you have problems with compatibility of equipment and the grid, you have two possible solutions. You either need tougher equipment or cleaner power.
In an ideal world, the AC voltage supplied to your company should have a frequency and amplitude within national standards or system specifications. The problem is that no power source operating now is ideal, and the power can deviate by variations in voltage. You may experience flickering lights, which are caused by sags in the system, or increases in voltage, known as spikes or surges. A proper voltage quality company can deal with the compatibility issues so that your equipment will not be affected by discrepancies in the voltage you receive from the power source.
The power quality that your home or business receives will depend on a number of different factors most of which are out of your control. If you do find that your power is unstable a proper voltage company should be able to help you to exercise full compatibility.