SMARTER POWER METERS REDUCE ECONOMIC LOSSES AT UTILITY

Abstract

The difference between delivered power from the utility side and registered power at point of common coupling (PCC) represents the losses at power grid. This paper will show that even in an ideal case, without any abuse of users, the losses occur due to inadequate measurement equipment and billing policy. Namely, common household power meters register only active energy, while power meters for industrial applications register reactive energy as well. Consequently, the billing policy is based only at one or both values. This approach does not follow the change of the end-user load profile that becomes very nonlinear. Therefore the utility register significant economic losses. To solve this problem we recommend distortion power to be measured and included into the billing policy. It was not the case so far because electric power community was not aware of the amount of distortion power in contemporary grid. Besides power meters were not able to measure it. This paper demonstrates how to overcome the obstacle with minor modification of ordinary electronic power meters. The proposed solution is verified by a set of measurement on different type of loads that are commonly used at households and offices.