Static Energy Meters and the Electrical Environment Comply to the Standards But are Not Compatible

Abstract

The energy transition contributes to a more sustainable use of electricity. Consequently, the loads that are connected in the electricity grid change from conventional linear loads towards non-linear time-variant loads, which are usually more energy efficient. This has resulted in many conducted electromagnetic interference problems, of which the interference on static energy meters is an impactful case as it can result in higher energy bills for consumers. This issue occurs when highly pulsed loads are connected to the static energy meter. For example, coming from a commercial off-the-shelf water pump, where errors up to 2675% are found, or from switching multimedia equipment resulting in a power generation of more than 600 W without any power generating equipment connected. Therefore, this article compares the interference waveforms with the waveforms as included in the relevant directives and standards. It is found that the test standards only cover frequency domain test methods, while the interference waveforms are more wide-band. Furthermore, those test methods do not cover the wide variety of waveforms that occur in the residential environment were the static energy meter is placed in.