This part of IEC 61000 provides guidance on principles which can be used as the basis for determining the requirements for the connection of fluctuating installations to MV, HV and EHV public power systems (LV installations are covered in other IEC documents). For the purposes of this report, a fluctuating installation means an installation (which may be a load or a generator) that produces voltage flicker and / or rapid voltage changes. The primary objective is to provide guidance to system operators or owners on engineering practices which will facilitate the provision of adequate service quality for all connected customers. In addressing installations, this document is not intended to replace equipment standards for emission limits. This report addresses the allocation of the capacity of the system to absorb disturbances. It does not address how to mitigate disturbances, nor does it address how the capacity of the system can be increased. Since the guidelines outlined in this report are necessarily based on certain simplifying assumptions, there is no guarantee that this approach will always provide the optimum solution for all flicker situations. The recommended approach should be used with flexibility and engineering judgment as far as engineering is concerned, when applying the given assessment procedures in full or in part. The system operator or owner is responsible for specifying requirements for the connection of fluctuating installations to the system. The fluctuating installation is to be understood as the customer's complete installation (i.e. including fluctuating and non fluctuating parts). Problems related to voltage fluctuations fall into two basic categories:

- Flicker effect from light sources as a result of voltage fluctuations;

- Rapid voltage changes even within the normal operational voltage tolerances are considered as a disturbing phenomenon.

The report gives guidance for the coordination of the flicker emissions between different voltage levels in order to meet the compatibility levels at the point of utilisation. This report primarily focuses on controlling or limiting flicker, but a clause is included to address the limitation of rapid voltage changes. This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition published in 1996 and constitutes a technical revision. This new edition is significantly more streamlined than the original technical report (Edition 1), and reflects the experiences gained in the application of the first edition. This technical report has also been harmonised with IEC/TR 61000-3-6 and IEC/TR 61000-3-13. This Technical Report has the status of a basic EMC publication in accordance with IEC Guide 107.