Do you use a synchronous clock? We want to hear from you

The Electricity Authority would like to hear from anyone using synchronous clocks, particularly for business-critical applications.

Most timekeeping applications today use modern technologies such as quartz-based time measurement. For applications requiring high degrees of accuracy, such as time synchronisation of control systems across large power or communication systems, most systems use the clock time derived from the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system. This provides for a highly accurate and stable time measurement.

Synchronous clocks are an older technology that uses the power system frequency to keep time. They require adjustments to system frequency (time error correction) to keep the clocks accurate. This involves dispatching generators to change the balance of supply and demand to change the system frequency. Under the Electricity Industry Participation Code, the system operator is required to perform these adjustments, but performing this obligation comes at a cost.

We are evaluating the current use of synchronous clocks to help us assess whether the cost of managing time error is justified.

Please contact OperationsConsult@ea.govt.nz if you are using synchronous clocks or are aware of anyone who does.

We intend to consult later in the year on our recommendations.