A new perfomance factor for weighted harmonic distortion evaluation

In recent years the problem of controlling power quality is becoming more relevant because of the widespread use of nonlinear and time-varying loads. Nonlinear loads should not be considered the only cause of the detrimental effects related to power systems, but the responsibility for the power quality deterioration should be shared between supplier and customer. Traditional indices cannot give this kind of information since they are able to give only a measure of the current and voltage waveform nonconformities. The aim of this paper is to define a new weighted index that is able to separate the responsibility for harmonic distortion between the suppliers and the customers. Experimental results show the proposed index gives reliable information about the actual contribution of a nonlinear load in the process of deterioration of the voltage waveform at the point of common coupling.