Guideline – Managing Harmonic Content in Commercial Installations (Draft)
Guideline – Managing Harmonic Content in Commercial Installations (Draft)

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Why a guideline on managing harmonics?
• To provide general guidance to facilities managers of commercial installations to manage the harmonic content prevail in their installation so that the individual consumers within the facility will not be burdened by the presence of harmonics.
What are harmonics in electricity networks?
• The typical definition for a harmonic is “a sinusoidal component of a periodic wave or quantity having a frequency that is an integral multiple of the fundamental frequency.” In the power system of Sri Lanka the fundamental frequency is 50 Hz. Therefore harmonic frequencies of voltage and current signals are multiples of 50 Hz fundamental signals and for example the harmonic frequencies can be in 150Hz 350Hz, etc.
Why encourage reducing harmonics?
• To improve power quality, reduce losses in current carrying conductors, increase efficiency/lifetime of electrical machines and to minimize malfunctioning of electrical equipment.
Who will benefit?
• Individual customers who doing their business, work in commercial installations such as shopping complexes and office complexes, and consumes redistributed electricity supplied by the respective commercial installation (i.e. shopping/office complex).
• The owners/managers of aforementioned facilities who purchase electricity in bulk from CEB distribution or LECO and redistribute to aforesaid individual customers within their premises.
How will our proposed guideline work?
• Facility managers can refer this guideline to: understand power quality issues originated by harmonics, to obtain guidance on how to assess their electrical installation, and to identify the measures to mitigate harmonics. Then the respective installations will not be subjected to negative effects of harmonics so that the connected customers will not experience power quality issues originated by harmonics.
What can you do to help?
• You can help us by providing require additions and alterations to this draft guideline.
We accept written submissions by 30th September 2017. You can make a submission on this draft guideline by email
LILANTHAN@PUCSL.GOV.LK or post to:

Why a guideline on managing harmonics?
• To provide general guidance to facilities managers of commercial installations to manage the harmonic content prevail in their installation so that the individual consumers within the facility will not be burdened by the presence of harmonics.
What are harmonics in electricity networks?
• The typical definition for a harmonic is “a sinusoidal component of a periodic wave or quantity having a frequency that is an integral multiple of the fundamental frequency.” In the power system of Sri Lanka the fundamental frequency is 50 Hz. Therefore harmonic frequencies of voltage and current signals are multiples of 50 Hz fundamental signals and for example the harmonic frequencies can be in 150Hz 350Hz, etc.
Why encourage reducing harmonics?
• To improve power quality, reduce losses in current carrying conductors, increase efficiency/lifetime of electrical machines and to minimize malfunctioning of electrical equipment.
Who will benefit?
• Individual customers who doing their business, work in commercial installations such as shopping complexes and office complexes, and consumes redistributed electricity supplied by the respective commercial installation (i.e. shopping/office complex).
• The owners/managers of aforementioned facilities who purchase electricity in bulk from CEB distribution or LECO and redistribute to aforesaid individual customers within their premises.
How will our proposed guideline work?
• Facility managers can refer this guideline to: understand power quality issues originated by harmonics, to obtain guidance on how to assess their electrical installation, and to identify the measures to mitigate harmonics. Then the respective installations will not be subjected to negative effects of harmonics so that the connected customers will not experience power quality issues originated by harmonics.
What can you do to help?
• You can help us by providing require additions and alterations to this draft guideline.
We are accepting written submissions by 30thSeptember 2017. You can make a submission on this draft guideline by email
LILANTHAN@PUCSL.GOV.LK or mail to:

Director General
Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka
6th Floor, BoC Merchant Tower, St. Michael’s Road, Colombo 03

After we have reviewed submissions we will incorporate them in the guideline to improve it. We plan to publish the final guideline in December 2017.

After we have reviewed submissions we will incorporate them in the guideline to improve it. We plan to publish the final guideline in December 2017.