New technology and power definitions make accurate revenue metering possible in the presence of harmonic distortion

Modern digital metering technology and advances in power definition theory have made it possible to produce revenue meters that measure the correct quantities even in non-sinusoidal conditions. These developments are reflected in the designs of several metering integrated circuits and in the IEEE 1459-2000 power definitions standard. These advances now need to be included in metering standards and adopted by meter manufacturers, a process that should be advanced by utility metering engineers. This paper discusses appropriate power definitions for revenue metering in non-sinusoidal conditions, and demonstrates that readily available single-phase metering chips can implement the `fundamental power' definitions in the IEEE Standard. Freed from the limitations of obsolete technology, it rests now with metering engineers to articulate their needs and with standards organizations to incorporate suitable test requirements into metering standards.