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EDWartens UK

Free course · Electrical

Power Quality and Harmonics: G5/5, IEEE 519 and IEC 61000

Power quality for electrical engineers in plants, buildings, utilities and data centres: sags, swells, transients, flicker and unbalance; harmonics from drives, UPS, IT loads and inverters; THD, TDD, K-factor and resonance; the UK's ENA Engineering Recommendation G5/5 and IEEE 519-2022 limits at the point of common coupling, and the IEC 61000 family; Class A measurement and Python analysis; reactors, detuned capacitor banks, passive and active filters, active front ends and multipulse drives; and a harmonic study in the free OpenDSS simulator.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Intermediate
Modules
15
Video
24 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Classify sags, swells, interruptions, transients, flicker and unbalance and judge equipment ride-through on the ITIC and SEMI F47 curves; calculate THD, TDD, true power factor, K-factor and neutral current from a spectrum; predict the harmonics of drives, UPS and IT loads; find parallel resonance and specify detuned capacitor banks; locate the PCC, calculate Isc/IL and test compliance with IEEE 519-2022 using its percentile rules; plan and run a Class A survey and analyse a week of data in Python; size reactors and active filters and compare multipulse, AFE and passive solutions; model a site in OpenDSS; and write a power quality report.

  • Classify sags, swells, transients, flicker and unbalance and judge ride-through on ITIC and SEMI F47
  • Calculate THD, TDD, true RMS, true power factor, K-factor and neutral current from a spectrum
  • Predict the harmonics of six, twelve and eighteen pulse drives, UPS, IT loads and inverters
  • Find parallel resonance and specify a detuned capacitor bank with the right capacitor voltage
  • Locate the PCC, calculate Isc/IL and test compliance with IEEE 519-2022 percentile rules
  • Plan an IEC 61000-4-30 Class A survey and analyse a week of data in Python
  • Size reactors and active harmonic filters and compare multipulse, AFE and passive filters
  • Model a site in OpenDSS and write a power quality report with ranked recommendations

Software

A spreadsheet for the calculations. Python 3 with numpy and pandas for the data analysis, and the free OpenDSS simulator from EPRI driven from Python through OpenDSSDirect.py; Google Colab runs both in a browser with nothing to install. Analyser vendor software and commercial study tools appear in some lessons but are not needed.

Hardware

None. Any laptop with a browser is enough. A three-phase power quality analyser is shown in the measurement lessons; using one on site needs a competent, authorised person.

Syllabus

15 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1What power quality is and why plants and data centres care4 lessons
  2. 2Voltage sags, swells and interruptions: causes, ride-through and tolerance curves4 lessons
  3. 3Transients, flicker and voltage unbalance7 lessons
  4. 4Harmonics fundamentals: Fourier, THD, TDD and true power factor10 lessons
  5. 5Sources of harmonics: drives, rectifiers, UPS, IT and LED loads, inverters11 lessons
  6. 6Effects of harmonics: transformers, K-factor, neutrals, cables, motors and generators12 lessons
  7. 7Resonance, power factor correction and detuned capacitor banks7 lessonsLab
  8. 8IEEE 519-2022 at the PCC, and the IEC 61000 limits9 lessons
  9. 9Measuring power quality: IEC 61000-4-30 Class A and analyser set-up8 lessons
  10. 10Reading the data: troubleshooting, percentiles and Python analysis10 lessons
  11. 11Mitigation 1: reactors, transformers, multipulse drives and passive filters15 lessons
  12. 12Mitigation 2: active harmonic filters, active front ends and choosing a solution9 lessons
  13. 13Harmonic studies: data, models, frequency scans and OpenDSS6 lessons
  14. 14Data centres, renewables and generators, and writing the power quality report7 lessons
  15. 15Final assessment1 lesson

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Practise in the labOptionalTry a task from the module in the EDWartens Lab, in your browser.
  5. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  6. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

EDWartens Lab

Practise this in the EDWartens Lab

Read the single line diagram, then isolate, lock and tag a motor bucket in the Lab's substation and MCC room.

Works alongside Power Quality and Harmonics: G5/5, IEEE 519 and IEC 61000. The Lab is substation and mcc practice in your browser: no install, no hardware, free to use. Sign in as a learner and it opens with your account.

Open the free lab See the Lab
Substation and MCC: Work a real switchroom.

Levels to try with this course

Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.

Why practise in a lab

Technical work is judged on what you can do: wiring, commissioning, finding a fault. Doing a task yourself teaches more than watching it a second time, and a lab lets you try it safely before you meet real equipment. It does not replace working on real hardware.

  • Practise safely, so a mistake costs nothing.
  • The lab checks your work like a site test, so you know when it is right.
  • Free, in your browser, with nothing to install.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for Power Quality and Harmonics: G5/5, IEEE 519 and IEC 61000

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

Questions

About this course

Does it cover the UK harmonic rules?
Yes, as the UK frame for the same ideas. ENA Engineering Recommendation G5/5 sets the planning levels for harmonic voltage distortion and the connection of non-linear equipment to UK distribution and transmission networks, and your network operator applies it to new connections. The course teaches the method with IEEE 519-2022 and IEC 61000-4-30 measurement, which is how a G5/5 assessment is checked on site. Always use the version your network operator names.
What is this power quality and harmonics course?
It is a free-to-learn, self-paced course in electrical power quality: voltage sags, swells, transients, flicker and unbalance, and harmonics from drives, UPS, IT loads and inverters. It covers THD and TDD calculations, resonance and detuned capacitor banks, IEEE 519-2022 compliance at the point of common coupling, IEC 61000-4-30 measurement, Python analysis, harmonic filters and a harmonic study in OpenDSS, with notes, worked problems and a data centre project.
Who is the power quality course for?
It is for electrical design, maintenance, utility and data centre engineers and senior electricians who deal with drives, UPS systems, capacitor banks, generators or harmonic complaints. Commissioning engineers, energy engineers and consultants who sign off IEEE 519 or grid code compliance will also find it useful.
What do I need to know before starting?
You need three-phase power, per-unit values and power factor at the level of a diploma or degree in electrical engineering, plus school algebra. No paid software is needed: a spreadsheet, Python with numpy and pandas, and the free OpenDSS simulator are enough, and Google Colab runs the Python and OpenDSS work in a browser.
Which standards does the course cover?
The course covers the IEC 61000 family (61000-2-2 and 2-4 compatibility levels, 61000-3-2 and 3-12 equipment limits, 61000-4-30 measurement, 4-7 harmonics and 4-15 flicker), EN 50160, and IEEE 519-2022 with IEEE 1159 and IEEE C57.110. The standards are explained in our own words and no tables are reproduced, so read the edition your contract names before signing a compliance report.
How long does the course take?
About 24 hours at your own pace: about 15.6 hours of video plus notes, worked problems and practice tasks across 14 modules and a final assessment. The optional data centre harmonic compliance project takes about 16 hours more.
Is the course free, and what certificate do I get?
The course is free to learn, and you can earn a verifiable certificate of completion by finishing the modules and passing the 15-question final at 60 percent. Each certificate has a unique number, a QR code and a public verification page that shows the course, the modules covered and the final score; it is not an IEEE or IEC credential.
How do I check a site for IEEE 519 compliance?
Measure for at least a week with an IEC 61000-4-30 Class A analyser at the point of common coupling, calculate the short-circuit ratio Isc/IL there, and compare the weekly 95th percentile of the 10 minute TDD and voltage THD with the IEEE 519-2022 limits for that ratio and bus voltage. Modules 8 to 10 work through each step with numbers, and the project applies it to a data centre.
What jobs does power quality lead to, and is it in demand?
It leads to power quality engineer, electrical design engineer, data centre electrical engineer and utility connections engineer roles, where IEEE 519 and IEC 61000 experience is a common requirement in job adverts. Data centre growth, drive retrofits and solar and battery connections all bring harmonic questions to UK connection studies.

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module