Brownout (electricity)
Drop in voltage in an electrical power supply system / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Brownout (disambiguation).
A brownout is a drop in the magnitude of voltage in an electrical power system.
Unintentional brownouts can be caused by excessive electricity demand, severe weather events, or a malfunction or error affecting electrical grid control or monitoring systems.[1][2] Intentional brownouts are used for load reduction in an emergency, or to prevent a total grid power outage due to high demand.[3] The term brownout comes from the dimming of incandescent lighting when voltage reduces.
In some countries, the term brownout refers not to a drop in voltage but to an intentional or unintentional power outage (or blackout).[4][5][6]