This standard gives the main characteristics of the voltage at the customer's supply terminals in public low voltage and medium voltage electricity distribution systems under normal operating conditions. This standard gives the limits or values within which any customer can expect the voltage characteristics to remain, and does not describe the typical situation for a customer connected to a public supply network.
NOTE: For the definitions of low and medium voltage see 1.3.7 and 1.3.8.
The standard does not apply under abnormal operating conditions including the following:
- conditions arising as a result of a fault or a temporary supply arrangement adopted to keep customers supplied during maintenance and construction work or to minimize the extent and duration of a loss of supply,
- in case of non-compliance of a customer's installation or equipment with the relevant standards or with the technical requirements for connection of loads, established either by the public authorities or the electricity supplier including the limits for the emission of conducted disturbances,
- in case of non-compliance of a generation installation with the relevant standards or with the technical requirements for interconnection with an electricity distribution system established either by the public authorities or the electricity supplier (e.g. embedded generation),
- in exceptional situations outside the electricity supplier's control, in particular,
· exceptional weather conditions and other natural disasters,
· third party interference,
· acts by public authorities,
· industrial actions (subject to legal requirements),
· force majeure,
· power shortages resulting from external events.
The voltage characteristics given in this standard are not intended to be used as electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) levels or user emission limits for conducted disturbances in public distribution systems.
The voltage characteristics given in this standard are not intended to be used to specify requirements in equipment product standards, but should be considered. It should be especially noted that the performance of equipment might be impaired if it is subjected to supply conditions which are not taken into account in the equipment product standard.
This standard may be superseded in total or in part by the terms of a contract between the individual customer and the electricity supplier.
BS EN 50160:2000 history
2023BS EN 50160:2022 Voltage characteristics of electricity supplied by public electricity networks
1970BS EN 50160:2010+A3:2019 Voltage characteristics of electricity supplied by public distribution networks
2015BS EN 50160:2010+A1:2015 Voltage characteristics of electricity supplied by public electricity networks
2010BS EN 50160:2010 Voltage characteristics of electricity supplied by public electricity networks
2007BS EN 50160:2007 Voltage characteristics of electricity supplied by public distribution networks
2000BS EN 50160:2000 Voltage characteristics of electricity supplied by public distribution systems