Towards limiting the sensitivity of energy-efficient lighting to voltage fluctuations

In recent years, several countries have adopted measures aimed at improving the efficiency of energy usage and reducing energy costs. One initiative has been to encourage the use of efficient lighting technologies by replacing inefficient lamps such as the incandescent lamp with more efficient lamps. However, this change can have consequences in terms of power quality, and more specifically in terms of flicker. The standardized procedure for flicker measurement is based on the working principle and characteristics of the incandescent lamp. A number of studies have suggested that modern lamps are less sensitive to voltage fluctuations than incandescent lamps. This leads to two different solutions: to either increase the established compatibility levels for voltage fluctuations, or find a new reference lamp for flicker measurement. This work presents an in-depth analysis of the state of the art regarding the sensitivity of new lighting technologies to voltage fluctuations. The problem is tackled from various angles: the techniques and tools used in the sensitivity analysis, the grid disturbances that are likely to affect the flickering of the various lighting technologies, and the comparison of modern lamps' sensitivity to voltage fluctuations. The main conclusions presented in the works analyzed here are compared to assess the validity of the mentioned proposals. New lighting technologies cover a wide range of responses, from lamps with very low sensitivity to lamps that are clearly more sensitive than the incandescent lamp. Considering the diversity in the behavior of modern lighting technologies and the banning of the incandescent lamp, a procedure for controlling the immunity of energy-efficient lamps to voltage fluctuations during the development of the equipment has been proposed. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.