Power quality is a growing issue in Africa. Many sites now use solar inverters, VFDs, battery systems, UPS units, and LED lighting. These loads improve efficiency, but they also create harmonic currents and reactive power problems. This is one reason harmonics damage transformers in modern facilities. In many African industrial power systems, transformers carry the stress of the whole network. Whe...
Active Harmonic Filter for Welding Machines Welding machines are common in factories, workshops, steel plants, automotive production, shipyards, and metal processing sites. They are useful machines, but they can create serious power quality problems. The main issue is welding machine harmonics. Modern welding machines often use power electronic converters. These converters do not draw current in a...
Active Harmonic Filter for Transformer Overheating Transformer overheating is a common problem in modern electrical systems. Many sites check the transformer load first. They also check cooling, cable size, room temperature, and ventilation. But the transformer may still run hot. In many cases, the real cause is harmonic distortion. An active harmonic filter helps reduce harmonic distortion in rea...
Introduction: The 2026 Grid Emergency Meets AI Infrastructure In July 2026, the eastern United States is experiencing a punishing heatwave. The PJM Interconnection—the largest US regional grid—is forecasting demand to exceed 166,000 MW, dangerously close to its all-time historical record. Utilities are considering the unthinkable: cutting AI data centers off the grid to preserve...
A 120 kW DC fast charger is not a resistive load, and ten of them are not ten kettles. When a highway charging hub starts a batch of charging sessions within the same minute, the transformer, cables and switchgear see a load profile closer to a small welding workshop than a retail site. The consequences—harmonic distortion, reactive power and three-phase imbalance—surface as tripped br...
Transformer Overheating Explained: Why It Happens Below Rated Load A transformer can run unusually hot even when the connected load appears safely below its nameplate rating. Current may seem acceptable while winding or enclosure temperatures continue rising. This often happens because loading is assessed only in kilowatts or average amperes. Harmonics, imbalance, poor power factor and inad...
Why a Solar Plant Needs Active Compensation A Static Var Generator (SVG) is an active, IGBT-based power-electronics compensator that stabilises voltage, supplies or absorbs reactive power and filters harmonic current at the point of common coupling (PCC) of a solar plant. It turns unstable PV output into grid-compliant power for EPC contractors, electrical engineers, procurement teams and power-qu...