How ageing analysers create blind spots in electrical systems

Power quality meters are typically treated as fit-and-forget devices, sitting inside panels for decades without much attention. As electrical environments evolve, many legacy instruments create blind spots

Long-life assets can soon become vulnerable when product support ends, explained John Mitchell, global sales and marketing director at CP Automation, a power quality specialist.

For engineers reliant on discontinued and outdated power quality meters, the challenge is twofold:

• The hardware lacks an upgrade path.
• Modern electrical networks are becoming more complex.

Leaving users left to seek guidance or a replacement for both high-end equipment and basic metering.

One example includes the ageing Dranetz 61000-series installations, a legacy family of power quality analysers typically installed across industrial and utility sites. Form-factor constraints and obsolete components can limit replacement options for operators and engineers using this technology, unless they receive specialist support.

Differing from equipment with a defined design life, such as variable speed drives and programmable logic controllers, power meters are installed in controlled environments and are rarely replaced unless an entire distribution panel is renewed. Panels can go untouched for 20 years or more.

During that time, the ecosystem around the meter continues to move on. Communications protocols change, monitoring software evolves, and the original programming tools may no longer be supported. A meter can still appear functional, but it cannot integrate with modern systems or capture the correct data.

Modern electrical environments pose the challenge of complex waveforms, high harmonics, and even superharmonics generated by loads such as EV chargers and active front-end (AFE) drives. In these applications, legacy meters may give the impression that everything is healthy because they cannot detect certain network disturbances.

Many panel-mounted meters share the same 96mm square cut-out, making like-for-like replacement straightforward.

For example, CP Automation’s metering range can support all major communication protocols, enabling new analysers to slot into existing networks with minimal disruption. For sites that prefer an internal installation, DIN-rail options are also available.

Accuracy levels can vary across the market, yet the portfolio covers everything from basic meters to Class A analysers capable of meeting strict utility and billing requirements. This enables operators to match the measurement capability to the application’s criticality, whether they require a simple energy meter or a high-end analyser that provides wider-spectrum visibility.

Integration with platforms such as PQView is another advantage. PQView enables even large organisations to monitor hundreds of devices from a central point, which is why it's widely used by Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) to manage fleets of sites. More sophisticated meters can interface directly with this system, simplifying long-term management and reporting.

CP Automation is working with Powerside to deliver clearer upgrade paths and customer-specific retrofit solutions, including support for ageing 61000-series installations. The PQube3 form factor can be used for straightforward replacement of many legacy Dranetz units, and the PQube 3e analyser provides a practical multi-circuit option for sites that want to consolidate monitoring into a single device.

The next generation of meters will be defined by connectivity and analytics. Developments are already occurring in standards, such as IEC 61000-2-2 and 2-4, which include requirements for measuring superharmonics, and devices, such as those from Powerside, which are already designed with this ability.

Cloud integration, remote access, and machine learning will soon be standard features, allowing meters to identify trends and warn operators when plant behaviour drifts from normal.

With the grid under increasing strain from renewables, electrification, high-performance drives, and the rapid growth of data centres, accurate, continuous monitoring is becoming essential rather than optional.

While power quality meters are often treated as fit-and-forget devices, they play a vital role in plants and other industrial facilities. When these become obsolete, it’s important to work with an experienced power quality partner that can provide continuity and ensure that any installed analysers capture the required data.