{"id":16617,"date":"2024-10-04T16:43:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-04T16:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modomodostage.com\/_client\/PWS\/PWS101\/?post_type=case_study&p=16617"},"modified":"2026-02-03T21:00:19","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T21:00:19","slug":"identifying-harmonics-and-conducted-emissions-in-the-age-of-solar-farms","status":"publish","type":"case_study","link":"https:\/\/modomodostage.com\/_client\/PWS\/PWS101\/case-study\/identifying-harmonics-and-conducted-emissions-in-the-age-of-solar-farms\/","title":{"rendered":"Identifying Harmonics and Conducted Emissions In the Age of Solar Farms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From solar panels to wind turbines, renewable energy is the fastest-growing energy source in the US, with a 42% increase in prevalence from 2010 to 2020.1<\/sup> As such technology evolves, it brings fresh challenges to power quality, including issues like conducted emissions (or supraharmonics<\/a>). Advanced power quality monitoring systems are more critical than ever to detect these problems and help maintain a resilient, reliable grid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, Powerside experts worked with a utility on a project where a renewable energy site caused a residential customer\u2019s electrical issues. The case highlights the importance of harnessing advanced power quality (PQ) data to accurately identify and resolve power disturbances \u2014 especially as renewable energy generation sources expand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Malfunctioning Lights, GFCI and Appliance Failures:
An Issue of Paranormal Activity or Power Quality?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Something strange was happening in a residential customer\u2019s house: their lights began turning on and off sporadically (Figure 1). Their dishwasher would have operational issues, and their ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) tripped frequently \u2014 all, notably, on sunny days during peak solar generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rather than calling paranormal investigators, they dialed up their local utility to report the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The utility immediately recognized the disturbance as a power quality problem \u2014 one that was indicative of deeper grid disturbances. After visiting the customer site and confirming the reported power behavior, the utility consulted with power quality engineers for next steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Role of Advanced Power System Analysis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Without proper PQ monitoring tools, the utility might have had difficulty determining the exact cause of the problem. Fortunately, a PQube\u00ae<\/sup> 3 power analyzer<\/a> was already permanently installed in the area for IEEE 519 harmonics compliance purposes. This high-end monitoring device is designed to capture a wide range of PQ data points, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n