Cost-related harmonic limits

The paper deals with the costs due to the harmonics. The introduction of costs evaluation in the harmonic analysis allows quantification of the real effects of different pollution levels on the equipment and components. Moreover, it can be the basis to define “quality price” of energy suitable to be introduced in a de-regulated market. The considered costs due to harmonics include the increased losses, the premature aging and the misoperation. The economical-damage due to the losses and the premature aging is computed in some simple cases, the obtained plots versus the harmonic pollution level can give indications of the amount of costs for equipment to be met/saved for given increase/decrease of harmonic. Regarding the misoperation, for which lack of information is actually noticed, it is proposed to introduce the concept of the equipment “mission-quality”. This concept, together with “quality performance figure”, can allow economic quantification not only the misoperation, but also the effects of the misoperation on the process in which the equipment is inserted