The Australian Power Quality and Reliability Centre (APQRC) continues its strong involvement in setting the power quality standards for industry both nationally and internationally with the appointment of Professor Sarath Perera as Chair of Standards Australia technical committee EL-034 ‘Power Quality’ and Mr Jason David as Secretary of CIGRE Australia Study Committee C4 ‘System Technical Performance’ (AUC4).
Standards Australia EL-034 is responsible for standardisation in the field of power quality, relating to overall system aspects and acceptable balance between cost and quality for the users of electrical energy, including electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) at low frequencies. In addition to setting standards for Australia and New Zealand, the committee also participates in international standardisation through the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Professor Perera’s appointment as chair is for an initial term of 3 years, with the option of renewal for a further 3 years. Professor Perera’s appointment recognises his long time involvement in not only education and research in power quality but his strong industry links and particular expertise in voltage fluctuation and flicker, and harmonics.
CIGRE is an international community of power system professionals with a focus to define, address and share experiences related to power system operations. The C4 Study committee focusses specifically on the technical performance of the system. The Australian panel AUC4 meets annually to present and discuss specific technical issues of relevance to the industry. AUC4 also engages in running technical seminars on relevant topics that are at the forefront of the fast-moving electricity industry. Jason has been with the APQRC since 2016 as a research engineer. As the Secretary of AUC4, Jason will be able to maintain a strong connection with the Australian electricity industry and help identify where UOW’s contributions can make the most impact while contributing to the wider electricity industry in Australia.