Collaborative Development of Automated Advanced Interoperability Certification Test Protocols for PV Smart Grid Integration

Abstract

Photovoltaic (PV) systems and other Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) can provide voltage and frequency support to the electric grid through commanded and autonomous operating modes. These functions have been standardized in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Technical Report 61850-90-7 in 2013; and recently, in response to national and international requirements, are being added to PV inverters by the manufacturers. However there are currently large gaps in the certification standards for verifying the interoperability and functionality of the advanced DER functions. Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), and TECNALIA—as part of a collaboration through the Smart Grid International Research Facility Network (SIRFN)—are designing and exercising test protocols to characterize the interoperability and advanced functionality of these devices. This paper discusses the ongoing development of a pre-certification standard protocol for testing advanced DER inverter interoperability functions and automation of the testing procedures in the U.S., Austria, and Spain. A non-dimensionalized comparison of the test results for a 3 kW single phase PV inverter at Sandia, a 20 kW three phase PV inverter at AIT, and a 5 kW single phase PV inverter at TECNALIA are provided.