Energy efficiency and power quality

Energy is too valuable to waste. Every unnecessary use should be avoided. Energy efficiency is the concept of reducing energy consumption without the sacrifice of comfort or delivered services. This can be done in a simple way by being mindful of the use of equipment and infrastructure, such as switching off loads when not useful. Savings can also be accomplished by means of technology, such as adequate thermal insulation in buildings or efficient electrical drives. Because certain groups of efficient devices are based on power electronics, the growing use of efficient devices can have a negative effect on power quality (PQ). On the other hand, power-electronic devices as well traditional devices can be sensitive to poor power quality. This illustrates how the use of more power electronics within the scope of energy efficiency can be problematic from two points of view: 1. effects on PQ by more efficient technologies based on power electronics 2. effects on losses of loads and components by poor PQ caused by more efficient technologies based on power electronics. Even if out of scope of this note, from an energetic and an economical point of view, loss related to product wastage in industrial process caused by malfunctions due to poor PQ can also be very important from EE perspective.