When it comes to power quality, the cost of harmonics, sags, transients and outages can quickly become disruptive to production processes and ultimately very expensive.

Data may be lost, equipment damaged and procedures interrupted, resulting in significant downtime. Production lines are especially vulnerable to power quality problems - power sags, transients and harmonics – which can result in equipment malfunction, downtime and lost product.

Because many functions in a production line and interdependent, these problems can amplify electrical imbalances by "starving" all downstream processes too. The widespread adoption of automation means many organizations are now more sensitive to the quality of their electrical energy supply and continuous operation of critical equipment.

Recent studies by the EPRI (Cost of Power Disturbances) indicate that the average industrial consumer experiences eight power-quality events each year costing between from $10,000 to $50,000 per event for plastics and semiconductor manufacturers, and $10,000 to $30,000 per event for pulp & paper processes. The solution is to invest wisely in electrical energy-management and performance.