Harmonic distortion during the 2010 FIFA World Cup

This paper presents harmonic distortion measurements in several countries taken during live televised matches of the 2010 Soccer World Cup held in South Africa. The paper provides an analysis of the components involved in the increase of total harmonic distortion of current and voltage. The work also compares the latest measurements with previous events and makes some considerations regarding future trends. Measurements from Brazil, Italy, Netherlands and Australia are presented and briefly discussed. Lessons learned from these observations could potentially improve our understanding of the impact of customer equipment and customer behavior on harmonic levels and assist in managing waveform distortion now and in the future.