Harmonics and Why You Have to Care

Producers up and down the Permian are receiving letters from their electric utilities stating that harmonics have become a serious problem that must be fixed.

“But what are harmonics and why do they have my utility up in arms?” you might be asking. (And you would be wise to ask!)

Harmonics are a distortion in the electrical waveform that have severe and far reaching effects on both your utility and your neighbors in the field.

They can cause disruptions in service, wreak havoc on equipment — and here’s the scary part — cause the utilities to shut off power to the worst offenders.

That’s right, unchecked harmonics may cause the utility to shut off power to your sites. 

Back that initial question: what are harmonics?

Here is a short, animated video to answer that question. It’s a simple introduction to a complex question.

We’ll be sending you other insights soon on harmonics and what you can do to protect yourself and your operations.

While you can’t control the power quality that arrives at your facility, you can control its quality when you use it and return it to the grid.

To learn more, read our whitepaper Cancelling Harmonics with an Active Front End Drive.