Power quality issues: Power supply interruptions as key constraint to development in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Abstract

The power quality issues in the world today are critical to the development of different nations. Prosperity of each nation depends on availability of constant power supply and the quality of supply of power is very important to the required developments in world in the past, the present and the future. Constant power supply is a major challenge in Africa particularly in Nigeria where the generated power is less than thirty percent of the required power. The metrics of power quality are voltage sag, flickers, spikes, harmonics, notching, transients and interruptions. This paper reviewed power quality issues and the interruptions as they affect the development of the State. The level of interruptions in Ekiti State was thoroughly examined and the causes of power interruption in the State were investigated. The method used was the collection of data in respect of power interruptions on Ekiti feeders from the Benin distribution company, assessment of the collected data through simple programming as a command for plotting the graphs through the use of MATLAB 2015 depicting the behavioural pattern of the interruption for a period of six months in 2016. The result shows that the interrelationship between the interruptions and development particularly as it affects domestic consumers, small and medium scale enterprise adversely. Recommendations were suggested with the objective of solving the problems being set up by interruptions in the State and these include installation of reactors, automatic voltage regulators and effective tap changing system on the lines, busses and transformer substation respectively.