This Technical Report, which is informative in its nature, provides guidance on principles which can be used as the basis for determining the requirements for the connection of distorting installations to MV, HV and EHV public power systems (LV installations are covered in other IEC documents). For the purposes of this report, a distorting installation means an installation (which may be a load or a generator) that produces harmonics and/or interharmonics. The primary objective is to provide guidance to system operators or owners on engineering practices, which will facilitate the provision of adequate service quality for all connected customers. In addressing installations, this document is not intended to replace equipment standards for emission limits.

The report addresses the allocation of the capacity of the system to absorb disturbances. It does not address how to mitigate disturbances, nor does it address how the capacity of the system can be increased.

Since the guidelines outlined in this report are necessarily based on certain simplifying assumptions, there is no guarantee that this approach will always provide the optimum solution for all harmonic situations. The recommended approach should be used with flexibility and judgment as far as engineering is concerned, when applying the given assessment procedures in full or in part.

The system operator or owner is responsible for specifying requirements for the connection of distorting installations to the system. The distorting installation is to be understood as the customer’s complete installation (i.e. including distorting and non-distorting parts).

Problems related to harmonics fall into two basic categories.

This report gives guidance for the co-ordination of the harmonic voltages between different voltage levels in order to meet the compatibility levels at the point of utilisation. The recommendations in this report do not address harmonic interference phenomena in communication circuits (i.e. only the first of the above categories is addressed). These disturbances need to be addressed in terms of international directives concerning the Protection of Telecommunication Lines against Harmful Effects from Electric Power and Electrified Railway Lines, International Telecommunication Union, ITU-T Directives [1] ² or in terms of locally applicable standards such as [2], [3] or [4].

In the context of this report, the function of the system is more important than its nominal voltage. For example, a HV system used for distribution may be given a "planning level" which is situated between those of MV and HV systems.