Generators and switch mode power supplies.

For industrial customers, yes. As Sylvia pointed out, it's considered unreasonable for the average homeowner to know about watts and VARS (or power factor), so having similar surcharges for residences isn't done.

It goes way beyond PCs, what about the current waveforms of your CFLs? How about all your wall warts feeding electronics? How about the TVs, stereos, microwave ovens and other such stuff? Most of these have very high harmonic content. Of course most motor loads do not have harmonics but have bad power factors.

"JosephKK"

** Errr - not true of most microwave ovens.

Obviously you have never checked the current draw of one.

.... Phil

They do for large industrial and commercial users. It is not practical for residential users, they (normally) neither know enough to understand the issues, and (usually) cannot afford anyone who does know enough to advise them.

CFLs are certainly going to become more of a problem, particularly if no legal regulation is in place to limit their harmonic components, and especially in Australia where incandescents are about to be banned from import (none are made locally, apparently).

TVs and stereos don't use so much power, and accordingly represent a lower harmonic load (though with the trend to widescreen plasma TVs that is perhaps no longer true).

Motors have always been a problem, but it may be one that's cheaper to solve within the infrastructure than within the individual loads, and everyone uses motors.

Sylvia.

I came across this

which doesn't mention any US requirements, but does refer to some European and Japanese ones.

This document gives details from EN 61000-3-2.

The class D limit of 3.4mA/W for the third harmonic means 1.7A for a

500W (input) PS, which would be drawing only just over 2A at the fundamental.

Doesn't seem an exactly onerous requirement. Indeed, I'd have to wonder what an uncorrected 500W SMPS would be drawing. Have lobbyists managed to get the standard set so that manufacturers actually had to do nothing?

Sylvia.

It certainly looks like they did, at least partially:

All on the first page of results of a search for:

en_61000-3-2.

Late at night, by candle light, Richard The Dreaded Libertarian penned this immortal opus:

It adds cost to the final product, and manufacturers omit anything they can get away with for a better margin.

- YD.

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