ABSTRACT
This chapter describes wiring and grounding issues as they relate to power quality. Supplemental conductors, ground reference grids, and ground plates can all be used to improve the performance of the system as it relates to power quality. There are three basic reasons for grounding a power system: personal safety, protective device operation, and noise control. The most important reason for grounding a device on a power system is personal safety. The safety ground, as it is sometimes called, is provided to reduce or eliminate the chance of a high touch potential if a fault occurs in a piece of electrical equipment. Missing safety grounds usually occur because the safety ground has been bypassed. This is typical in buildings where the 120-V outlets only have two conductors. Modern equipment is typically equipped with a plug that has three prongs, one of which is a ground prong.
