A discriminative approach to harmonic emission assessment

With the onset of renewable power sources onto the network, such as Photovoltaic power plants contributing to Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) in voltage, a methodology to quantify their contribution to the THD in voltage at the point of common coupling is needed. This paper give an overview of existing theory on the quantification of harmonic emission and in particular the method proposed by the CIGRE/CIREDC4.109 working group. It is concluded that the application of this method by single-point measurements can be improved upon by using synchronized multiple-point measurements. Discrimination to identity the harmonic currents regarded as emission is attempted in the assessment of harmonic emission at a PV plant feeding into a 22 kV distribution network.