Designing criteria for building power systems supplying distributed nonlinear loads

In commercial and istitutional buildings, the wider use of power electronics equipments, such as computer swicth-mode power supplies and compact fluorescent lights with electronic ballasts, can create many problems. These loads are generally single-phase with a 3th harmonic current that can be equal or more than 60%. The aim of this paper is that of analyzing several specific aspects of power system design, such as: sizing of circuits; and the selection of type of circuits, by correlating them with this specific problem of distributed nonlinear load supply. The proposed criteria can be utilised both in a short-term action for resolution of specific problems, and in medium-tenn action for development of new optimization procedures of power system design.