Power Quality Monitors

Power Quality Monitors Start Page Uses of Power Quality Monitors Which Features do you need?

When you want to know how good your power quality is (or isn’t) you need a power quality monitor.  This can be a simple as a voltmeter to record changes in voltage or a complex instrument with built in software to analyze data and computer network data links.

Permanent or Portable

Monitors can be portable and moved from place to place, or permanently installed.  A logical location is where the utility power comes into a facility, called the point of common coupling. Additional monitors may be installed near equipment sensitive to power quality events.  Communications with the monitor and data storage are more of a concern with permanently mounted monitors.

Data Monitored

Data measured and analyzed by PQ monitors includes:

• frequency
• magnitude
• rapid changes
• dips (or sags)
• short and long interruptions
• temporary or transient overvoltages
• unbalance
• harmonics
• flicker
• DC components