The Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) on September 18, 2020 has issued the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (Electricity Supply Code and Related Matters) (7th Amendment) Regulations, 2020 to amend the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (Electricity Supply Code and Related Matters) Regulations, 2014. These Regulations shall be applicable to all licensees in their respective licensed/supply areas and all consumers or persons in the State of Punjab.
Following are the amendments made:
• In Regulation 2 of the Principal Regulations, certain new definitions have been added which are as follow:
a) Designated consumer- Consumer using or engaged in any of following processes i:e Arc Furnace, Induction Furnace, Chloro alkaline unit, Billet heaters with total connected rating above 100 kVA, Surface hardening Machine & 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 & above or as may be decided by the Commission.
b) Maximum demand load current- The current value at the point of common coupling calculated as the sum of the currents corresponding to the maximum 15/30 minutes demand during each of the twelve previous months divided by 12.
c) Point of common coupling- The point of metering, or any other point on supply system of distribution licensee, electrically nearest to the particular load at which other loads are, or could be, connected.
d) Power Quality Meter- A device suitable for monitoring and recording of power quality. It shall be capable of accurate measurement, monitoring and recording of harmonics, sags, swells, flickers and other power quality parameters.
e) Short-circuit ratio- The ratio of the available short-circuit current, in amperes, to the load current, in amperes.
f) Total Demand Distortion- The ratio of the root mean square of the harmonic content, considering harmonic components up to the 50th order, expressed as a percent of the maximum demand current.
g) Total Harmonic Distortion- The ratio of the root mean square of the harmonic content, considering harmonic components up to the 50th order, expressed as a percent of the fundamental.
• Regulation 24 of the principal Regulations is substituted implying that the distribution licensee and the designated consumers shall control the harmonics level at the Point of Common Coupling (PCC). The limits of voltage harmonics by the distribution licensee in its electrical network, the limit of injection of current harmonics by the designated consumers, Point of measurement i.e PCC and other related matters shall be as per the IEEE 519-2014 namely ‘IEEE Recommended Practices and Requirements for Harmonic Control in Electrical Power Systems', as modified from time to time.
• Regulation 24.2 implies that the measurements undertaken to determine compliance shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements as specified in IEC 61000-4-7 and IEC 61000-4-30.
• Regulation 24.3 specifies the measurement of data and meter which shall be captured by the distribution licensee each month or as may be decided by the Commission from time to time keeping in view the operational constraints.
• Under Regulation 24.4, the designated consumers shall install power quality meters by October 01, 2021 and share the recorded data thereof with the distribution licensee each month or as may be decided by the Commission.
• Under Regulation 24.5, the distribution licensee shall install power quality meters within three years starting from October 01, 2021 in a phased manner.
• Regulation 24.6 explains harmonics limits and Harmonic management in a power system.
• Regulation 24.7 specifies penalty provisions if the designated consumer fails to install power quality meter within the stipulated time.
[Notification no. PSERC/Secy/Regu.151]
