ABSTRACT
Good power quality is not easy to define because its measure depends upon the needs of the equipment which it is supplying; what is good power quality for a refrigerator motor may not be good enough for a personal computer. Since all customers have essentially the same utilization devices, it is necessary to provide each of them with nearly the same utilization voltages. Computer equipment is more sensitive to power quality than most other equipment. Power quality problems at the customer level are the result of both utility created disturbances as well as those created by the customer himself. The residential customer influences their own power quality either by the design of their house wiring, their use of appliances, or the types of load used. Another area sometimes considered a power quality issue is magnetic fields. Utility engineers throughout the country are finding that knowledge of just their power system is inadequate when working in the area of "power quality".
