The Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) has permitted PQ Welfare Consortium, a voluntary organisation working on power quality, to do a sample study of harmonics at wind and solar energy generation sources.
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A.D. Thirumoorthi, who is part of the Consortium, told The Hindu that High Tension (HT) electricity consumers in Tamil Nadu have harmonics standards, but these are yet to be implemented fully because of a lack of harmonics measuring meters, which are largely imported. Now, TNERC wants to develop harmonics standards for renewable energy generators and have a report prepared by a consultant for this.
PQ Welfare Consortium offered to do a sample study, free, to get actual details about whether there is pollution at the energy (wind and solar) generating points and if the pollution is affecting sub-stations and consumers. The TNERC, in a communication dated April 10, agreed to permit the Consortium to do the study.
Mr. Thirumoorthi said the plan is to study harmonics at five solar energy and five wind energy generation points and at the connected sub-stations and consumer points. A comprehensive report will be ready in three months and it will be submitted to the TNERC, he said.
The plan is to come up standards that are on a par with international standards. However, the standards should be achievable at the Indian field-level generating points, and the so, it was better to do a field-level study and develop standards based on the study report, he said.