Proper Mixture of CFL as an Energy Efficient Lighting System Without Violating Harmonics Limits

Abstract

Technology development causes large electricity demand in both industries and residents. The smart wayto meet the electricity demand is by introducing energy saving techniques. Most of the countries experiencing peak electricity demand in the evening and early night period. One of the main reasons for this is inefficient lighting loads, such as filament lamps. Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) is one of the accepted efficient lighting loads available in the market. CFLs provide the same intensity of light as incandescent bulbs, but use about 75% less energy as well as less heat. Also, they last up to ten times longer than a standard incandescent bulb. CFLs create harmonics on the supply system because of the control system limiting the plasma current, which produces light. These harmonic currents are then injected into the distribution system. Most electrical appliances have been designed work with linear voltage and current waveforms. Therefore excessive nonlinear loads can cause serious problems such as overheating conductor, transformers and capacitor failures as well as malfunction of electronic equipment. The magnitudes of harmonics generated by the CFLs vary based on the manufacturing technologies. Using the Fourier series, a distorted periodic wave shape can be represented by its fundamental and harmonics frequencies sine waveforms.Harmonic component can be expressed as a percentage of the fundamental and it is known as the Total Harmonic Distortion (THD),

Where Ih – hth harmonic component and I1 – fundamental current component Harmonic distortion level is depended on the type of CFL and distribution parameters. CFL can cause current distortion and that can result voltage distortion as well [2, 3]. Hence the use of CFL is appreciated with low distorted current to use within the acceptable limit for harmonics.The target of this paper is to study the amount of penetration can go with the CFL without violating the IEEE - 519 harmonic standards.