Light flicker sensitivity of high efficiency compact fluorescent lamps

This paper presents a comparison between compact fluorescent lamps and incandescent lamps for flicker production under common power quality disturbances. The widespread adoption of these high efficiency lamps has highlighted the discrepancies between the measured flicker levels by the AS/NZS 61000-4-15 standard and the actual levels experienced by humans. Using a unique method of flicker detection, the actual instantaneous light levels produced by a lamp are analysed. This overcomes the limitations of the flickermeter standard and is used to demonstrate the sensitivity of the light CFLs produce in the presence of power system disturbances such as; interharmonics, phase jumps, dips and swells which are not normally associated with flicker.