Criteria for the Assignment of Responsibilities for Disturbances between Utility and Load in Distribution Networks

Since 1997 Utilities in Argentina have been required by the Regulatory Authority (Ente Nacional Regulador de la Electricidad ENRE) to carry out severe monitoring programs. These monitoring programs involve measuring both voltage level and disturbances harmonics and flicker in different points of their networks. There are regulations related to these monitoring programs which set the rules to be followed by the Utilities. Such regulations include the limits that must be fulfilled. As regards disturbances measurements, if the values measured in voltage are above the limits established Utilities are fined. One the other hand, Utilities are able to explore their networks in order to search for disturbing customers. In addition, Utilities are also able to fine customers as long as it is correctly proved that such disturbances are caused by them. Most procedures currently employed to decide whether the disturbances measured at a generic Point of Coupling (PC) are produced by the customer or by the Utility are difficult to carry out in practical cases. The aim of this paper is to analyse and criticise these procedures and propose new, more simplistic methods to assess responsibilities for disturbances. These are related to other methods also applied to different procedures regarding Liberalized Electricity Markets.