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Today, machine downtime is not just a technical issue. It is a real industrial cost.
Production lines that stop unexpectedly, PLCs that reset, electronics that fail for no apparent reason, hours lost restarting operations. In many cases, the problem does not come from the machines, but from poor electrical power quality.
We work every day with companies that discover too late how poor power quality can compromise production continuity, energy efficiency, and plant reliability.
To explore this topic in depth, we interviewed Eng. Alessandro Bartolini, a research engineer who collaborated with the Smart Energy Lab, the joint laboratory between Energia Europa and the University of Florence dedicated to research on Power Quality disturbances.
The interview was also an opportunity to present PQ-GUARD, the new system developed by Energia Europa to protect companies from microinterruptions, voltage sags, and overvoltages.
Table of Contents
- What is Power Quality, really?
- The most common signs of poor power quality
- The real cost of microinterruptions and voltage sags
- How the PQ-GUARD project was born
- Why supercapacitors represent a generational leap
- ECO Mode and Zero-Break Mode
- The industries most exposed to Power Quality issues
- Why double measurement changes the way we analyze plants
- How Energia Europa builds a PQ-GUARD solution
- FAQ
What is Power Quality, really?
Eng. Bartolini, let’s start with the basics: what does “Power Quality” really mean, and why has it become such a critical issue for companies today?
“Think of electrical energy as the fuel for your company. If you put watered-down gasoline in a car, the engine sputters or stops. Power Quality is the ‘purity’ of that fuel. Today it is critical because industry is full of electronic and high energy efficiency systems that bring several challenges.”
In recent years, industrial plants have become much more sophisticated. Automation, robotics, inverters, CNC machines, PLCs, and high-efficiency energy systems have dramatically increased sensitivity to electrical disturbances.
The issue is that many anomalies last only a few milliseconds, but can have major consequences on production.
According to Power Quality field analyses, most industrial issues related to electrical power quality are caused by voltage sags and microinterruptions.
To learn more about this topic and how these phenomena affect industrial plants, we recommend reading our in-depth guide on Power Quality.
Want to know if your plant has Power Quality issues?
At Energia Europa, we analyze your plant’s electrical behavior and identify any anomalies responsible for machine downtime and inefficiencies.
Call us now at +39 0445 510 156
or
Fill out the contact form in the footer of the page.
The most common signs of poor power quality
Many companies notice electrical problems only when a machine stops. What are the most common signs of poor power quality?
“The symptoms of ‘dirty’ power are subtle. We often find them only by measuring or when the damage has already occurred. However, some signs can be: electronic boards that mysteriously burn out too often, sudden PLC resets, flickering lights, transformers and motors overheating.”
Many companies initially attribute these problems to equipment wear or random failures.
In reality, in our experience, these issues are often caused by continuous electrical disturbances that compromise plant stability.
That is why more and more companies are adopting advanced power quality devices to protect production lines and sensitive machinery.
The real cost of microinterruptions and voltage sags
In your experience, how much do microinterruptions and voltage sags really impact industrial costs?
“A voltage sag shorter than half a second — just a blink — can stop a line for hours. That means raw materials wasted, hours of labor lost to restart machines. Not to mention equipment failures that can lead to much higher economic damage.”
That is the critical point: extremely short events can cause enormous consequences.
A single electrical disturbance can lead to:
- production scrap;
- complex restarts;
- data loss;
- damage to electronics;
- hours of plant downtime;
- loss of productivity.
That is why many companies today are investing in industrial energy efficiency strategies and advanced solutions for electrical continuity protection.
How the PQ-GUARD project was born
How was the PQ-GUARD project created, and what specific problem did you want to solve?
“Traditional uninterruptible power supplies, thanks to large battery banks, are designed to ensure continuity in the event of long blackouts. But they are not the right answer to daily Power Quality disturbances. They are too bulky, expensive to maintain, and slow. We wanted a silent shield, with no energy impact, designed specifically to cover all voltage network issues and disturbances.”
The PQ-GUARD system was therefore created with a very clear goal: to act instantly against microinterruptions, voltage sags, and overvoltages without introducing the typical limits of traditional UPS systems.
PQ-GUARD is an Active Voltage Conditioner designed to protect industrial plants from the most critical electrical anomalies.
The system responds in about 2 milliseconds, ensuring power continuity without production noticing the problem.
Within the Energia Europa PQ Line, PQ-GUARD represents one of the most advanced solutions for industrial plant protection.
Every minute of plant downtime has a real cost
With PQ-GUARD, you can protect production lines, CNC machines, industrial automation, and critical systems from microinterruptions and voltage sags.
Contact Energia Europa at +39 0445 510 156
or
Request a technical consultation through the contact form in the footer of the page.
Why supercapacitors represent a generational leap
One of the most innovative aspects is the use of supercapacitors instead of traditional batteries. Why does this choice represent a generational leap?
“Both traditional lead-acid batteries and lithium-ion batteries are excellent storage systems inside UPS units, but they are not designed to deliver large amounts of energy in a very short time with a small battery pack. Supercapacitors, on the other hand, allow energy to be released with unmatched speed.”
Bartolini also highlights other key aspects:
“Unlike lithium batteries, they require no maintenance, support high temperature ranges, and last for decades.”
This approach provides:
- lower maintenance;
- greater reliability;
- reduced energy consumption;
- higher operational safety;
- long service life.
In ECO Mode, the system also maintains extremely low consumption compared to traditional technologies. Advanced technologies such as supercapacitors are becoming increasingly important in modern business energy saving projects.
ECO Mode and Zero-Break Mode
PQ-GUARD offers ECO Mode and Zero-Break Mode. What are they, and how does the system behave in the two scenarios?
“PQ-GUARD was created as a ‘silent’ shield, therefore to work in ECO Mode, where it protects against all dangerous voltage drops or overvoltages with efficiency above 99%.”
In this mode, the system remains in stand-by and intervenes only when needed.
However, there are much more sensitive industrial environments where complete voltage regeneration is required.
Bartolini explains:
“Some companies with specific equipment, such as in the medical sector, may require complete voltage regeneration, with the total absence of even small harmonic disturbances. That is why the advanced Zero-Break Mode function was implemented.”
In this configuration, the load is constantly powered through PQ-GUARD, ensuring total continuity similar to that of an advanced UPS.
The industries most exposed to Power Quality issues
Which industrial sectors are most exposed to Power Quality issues today?
“Any sector where a machine shutdown means ruining the product.”
According to Energia Europa’s experience, the most exposed sectors include:
- plastics and packaging;
- automotive;
- pharmaceutical;
- food industry;
- microelectronics;
- CNC and precision machining.
In all these cases, even a microinterruption lasting just a few milliseconds can cause:
- production scrap;
- machine resets;
- data loss;
- production stoppages;
- damage to electronics.
That is why many companies are integrating business energy saving solutions with advanced electrical continuity systems.
Why double measurement changes the way we analyze plants
One of the most interesting aspects is the double measurement system. Why is it so important for you to “prove” the electrical problem with objective data?
“In the industrial world, numbers count, not promises. Our double measurement system — which also uses independent third-party analyzers — is designed precisely for this: to show you in black and white the incoming disturbance and the perfectly clean energy output.”
The system uses two independent measurement points:
- one on the grid side;
- one on the plant side.
This makes it possible to see simultaneously:
- the real problem coming from the grid;
- the intervention of PQ-GUARD;
- the quality of the stabilized voltage supplied to the machines.
It is not a commercial promise, but objective data.
Energia Europa also explores this topic in this interview dedicated to power quality devices and the technologies used to protect industrial plants from electrical disturbances.
How Energia Europa builds a PQ-GUARD solution
When you enter a company reporting production problems or unexplained downtime, what analysis process do you follow?
“Our approach is clinical.”
Bartolini describes the process in three steps:
“X-ray: we collect historical data from existing network analyzers or install dedicated instruments.”
“Diagnosis: we analyze the data and diagnose the health status of the plant.”
“Treatment: if disturbances are present on the electrical network, we size PQ-GUARD properly according to the installation point.”
This methodology allows Energia Europa to design truly customized solutions, avoiding standardized or oversized approaches.
Do you want to protect your company from microinterruptions and voltage sags?
The Energia Europa team can help you identify the causes of electrical disturbances and design the most suitable PQ-GUARD solution for your plant.
or
Request information through the contact form in the footer of the page.
FAQ
What is Power Quality?
Power Quality refers to the quality of the electrical energy supplied to a plant. Unstable voltage can cause machine downtime, electronic failures, and production inefficiencies.
What are voltage sags?
Voltage sags are temporary drops in electrical voltage that can block inverters, PLCs, and production lines.
Does PQ-GUARD replace a UPS?
No. PQ-GUARD is designed to protect plants from typical Power Quality disturbances, using a different approach from traditional UPS systems.
How fast does PQ-GUARD respond?
The system responds in about 2 milliseconds, ensuring electrical continuity without perceptible interruptions for the plant.
Which companies is PQ-GUARD suitable for?
It is suitable for all companies with automated processes or systems sensitive to electrical disturbances: automotive, packaging, pharmaceutical, food, CNC, microelectronics, and advanced manufacturing industries.
Protect your production continuity today
Microinterruptions, voltage sags, and electrical disturbances can generate enormous costs without the company being fully aware of them.
With PQ-GUARD, Energia Europa offers an advanced solution to improve electrical continuity and protect industrial plants, automation, and sensitive production lines.
Our technical team can analyze your plant, identify any Power Quality issues, and design the most suitable solution for your company’s needs.
Contact us at +39 0445 510 156
or
Fill out the contact form in the footer of the page to request a dedicated technical consultation.
