Industrial facilities with inductive loads such as motors will very often have low power factor and may be charged extra by the utility. Harmonic distortion is a specific type of current and voltage contamination. With harmonic distortion the pure sinusoidal waveform is deformed. One of the possible causes is lighting, and in particular, electronic ballasts. Other equipment can also generate harmonics including variable frequency drives, personal computers, programmable controllers and solid state switching devices.
Harmonics can also enter a facility in from outside, a neighboring facility, for example.
High harmonic distortion can have negatively impact a building's electric distribution system. It can generate excessive heat in motors causing early failures. Heat also builds up in wire insulation causing breakdown and failure. Increased operating temperatures can affect other equipment, causing malfunctions and early failure. Power quality experts can conduct a survey of the facility to determine the cause of harmful harmonics and recommend solutions.