Power Quality
Introduction
Most people never think about the quality of the electricity powering their equipment.
But for critical industries — from semiconductor fabs to medical imaging labs — power quality (PQ) can make or break reliability, uptime, and even safety. And as the electric grid evolves under the weight of electrification, renewables, and AI-driven load growth, PQ problems are becoming more common, more complex, and harder to diagnose.
At Energy Quotient™, we believe that power quality deserves a new lens — one that combines high-fidelity measurement, advanced AI, and a signal-first approach to root cause analysis and optimization.
What Is Power Quality?
Power Quality refers to the degree to which the delivered electrical power matches ideal or expected characteristics, including:
- Stable voltage and frequency
- Clean sinusoidal waveforms (free from distortion or harmonics)
- Minimal voltage sags, swells, transients, or flicker
- Consistent three-phase balance and low neutral current
Any deviation from this “ideal” power can cause problems — especially in sensitive, high-performance systems like:
- Variable speed drives (VFDs)
- Imaging and precision manufacturing tools
- Data centers
- Microgrids and energy storage systems
Why Power Quality Matters
Poor PQ doesn’t always look like a dramatic failure. More often, it causes:
- Hidden degradation of expensive equipment
- Intermittent and hard-to-diagnose downtime
- Shortened asset life
- Control instability and poor power factor
- High reactive power costs or penalties
In fact, studies estimate that poor PQ costs U.S. industry over $200B annually — roughly twice the cost of cyberattacks.
And yet, most facilities don’t even know it’s happening.
Why Traditional PQ Monitoring Falls Short
Traditional PQ meters and monitors often rely on:
- Low-rate sampling
- RMS summaries and event logs
- Infrequent snapshots or triggered captures
This means they miss subtle, repeated waveform distortions — the kind that slowly damage equipment or hint at upstream infrastructure problems.
It’s like trying to diagnose a heart problem from a Fitbit log instead of a full ECG.
A New Lens on Power: Continuous Signal + AI
At EQ, we’re building a new kind of PQ intelligence platform:
- Custom sensor hardware to capture high-fidelity waveforms continuously
- Edge AI that analyzes data in real time — right where it’s generated
- Contextual insights for facility managers, engineers, and executives
- Modern UX that bridges the gap between signal and strategy
By moving beyond snapshots and summaries, we enable teams to see what’s been invisible, understand root causes, and make confident decisions to improve performance, uptime, and energy efficiency.
Where It Matters Most
Power quality is critical for:
- Semiconductor fabs (plasma etchers, steppers, and high-speed tools)
- Hospitals (MRI, CT, surgical robotics)
- Data centers & AI clusters
- Microgrids and backup systems
- Defense and advanced manufacturing
As the energy and infrastructure landscape evolves, power quality will only grow in importance.
Learn More
This is just the beginning. If you're dealing with unexplained equipment issues, energy inefficiencies, or growing power system complexity, power quality may be the missing piece. We invite you to schedule a call below.
