Noise generated by modern lamps and the influence on the smart-grid communication network

The metal halide lamp is a high energy electric lamp that produces visible light by an electric arc tube and it is a type of high-intensity discharge (HID) that contains a fused quartz and mixture of gases. These lamps inject noise into the smart-grid power line communications (PLC) network. This can have a strong and negative effect when using the PLC system to control the automatic switching of lamps in public places. In this paper we investigate the effects when the metal halide lamps with electronic or electromagnetic ballasts are seen as noise sources on the smart-grid power line network. It is shown that in the CENELEC band: (3 kHz-150 kHz) the interference level from metal halide lamps is significantly below the allowed maximum PLC signal levels. In the band 150 kHz-30 MHz however, PLC signals compete with Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) levels. The operational methods of the electronic and electromagnetic ballasts when connected to the metal halide lamps are explained.