Using distributed power quality monitoring for better electrical system management

The challenge for the electrical supervisor of an industrial power consumer is to keep the lights on and the costs down. This is especially difficult for companies that have numerous sites in different geographical locations. Each site needs the engineering expertise and access to operational data to ensure that its power system runs smoothly. This paper describes the synergistic benefit of a combined metering system that is distributed over a wide geographic area. The specific goals of cost control and power quality assessment are described, and the benefits that are achieved through distributed monitoring are summarized. The opportunity to take advantage of a deregulating electricity market, and how this system can be used to prepare for that market, is also described.