Installation of power quality meters mandatory: PSPCL

Kuldip Bhatia
Ludhiana, December 2

After an amendment to Regulation 2 and substitution of Regulation 24 of the Electricity Supply Code 2014 by the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC), installation of ‘power quality meters’ has been made mandatory for large supply (LS) consumers by October 1, 2021. It has been stated by Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) in its commercial (circular 44/2020).

Penal provisions

• As per the substituted Regulations 24.7, in case the designated consumer fails to instal power quality meter within the stipulated time as specified in regulation 24.4 of these regulations or the injection of current harmonics, after the stipulated time as may be decided by the commission, exceeds the limits as specified in regulation 24.6.2., such consumer will be liable to pay a penalty to the distribution licensee at the rate and in the manner as may be approved by the commission from time to time.

The circular issued by PSPCL Chief Engineer (Commercial) on November 24, says that designated consumers will install power quality meters by October 1, 2021, and share the recorded data thereof with the distribution licensee each month or as may be decided by the commission. Further, as per Regulation 24.5, the distribution licensee will install power quality meters within three years, starting from October 1, 2021, in a phased manner covering at least 20 per cent of the total identified locations on 11/33/66 kV feeders as may be approved by the commission in the first year and 40 per cent each in the subsequent two years.

As per the substituted Regulations 24.7, in case the designated consumer fails to install power quality meter within the stipulated time as specified in regulation 24.4 of these regulations or the injection of current harmonics, after the stipulated time as may be decided by the commission, exceeds the limits as specified in regulation 24.6.2., such consumer will be liable to pay a penalty to the distribution licensee at the rate and in the manner as may be approved by the commission from time to time.

The penalty will be without prejudice to the right of the distribution licensee to take other punitive action as may be approved by the commission.

The circular further lays down that in case the voltage harmonics in the distribution system exceeds the limits specified in regulation 24.6.1, the distribution licensee will be liabIe to compensate affected consumers of the feeder(s), after the stipulated date, at the rate and in the manner as may be approved by the commission front time to time.

Designated consumers

Designated consumers will include those using or engaged in any of processes such as arc furnace, induction furnace, chloro-alkaline unit, billet heaters with total connected rating above 100 kVA, surface hardening machine and electrolytic process industry, electric bell furnaces for annealing, electro-slag refining/re-melting processes, IT/ITES, malls, petro-chemical units, railways, pharmaceuticals and connected at a supply voltage of 11 kV and above.

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