IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) approves new standard revision for DER Interconnection
In the last quarter of 2017, the IEEE Conformity Assessment Program (ICAP) hosted a pilot demonstration at Clemson University with Duke Energy and inverter supplier ABB to commission a distributed energy resources (DER) interconnection to the grid per the requirements of IEEE 1547/IEEE 1547.1™ standard. While IEEE 1547 has been around for a decade, DER stakeholders across the country take drastically different approaches to the requirements of commissioning as laid out in IEEE 1547/IEEE 1547.1. The pilot demonstration served as an initial step in learning how commissioning to IEEE 1547 should be done and how to resolve any non-conformances. This project evaluated a full DER implementation system according to the IEEE 1547/IEEE 1547.1 commissioning requirements and the IEEE 1547 Conformity Assessment Commissioning template.
According to Adam Newman, IEEE Senior Director of New Business Development & Operations and IEEE Industry Standards and Technology (ISTO) executive relationship manager, “The ICAP program provides a thorough evaluation of IEEE 1547 commissioning requirements and represents a milestone in the interconnection of distributed energy resources through comprehensive standardization methods. For utilities, DER developers, regulators, service companies, and equipment manufacturers, there is now a demonstrated process for assessing IEEE 1547 commissioning compliance across any type and size of DER implementation.”
An IEEE 1547 Conformity Assessment Steering Committee (CASC) was convened in 2015 with leading subject matter experts representing all stakeholders within the power industry. The purpose of this steering committee is to define, demonstrate and implement a common commissioning protocol and certification process in order to broaden industry understanding and acceptance of IEEE 1547.
“The rapid expansion of Distributed Energy Resources is driving the need for standardization that will aid all stakeholders involved in implementing DER’s today and for the future,” said Kevin Chen, Lead Engineer of DER Technical Standards, Duke Energy. “Duke Energy’s participation in the ICAP Interconnection of Distributed Energy Resources demonstration pilot was invaluable in helping verify standard protocols needed to assure compliance for full DER systems.”
The IEEE 1547 Commissioning pilots serve an important function to evaluate the effectiveness of the IEEE 1547 commissioning procedure. The pilot with Clemson and Duke Energy allowed for testing variants that reflect different priorities for DER implementation within a multiplicity of utility distribution systems and regulatory environments.
Organizations that provide products and services related to the interconnection of distributed energy resources may benefit from participation in IEEE 1547 Conformity Assessment program for technologies that include:
- Photovoltaic (PV) Solar – suppliers of usable solar power by means of photovoltaic
- Wind & Hydro
- Energy Storage Systems – companies that provide clean energy solutions for distribution of grid connected stand-alone/islanding operations
- Smart Inverters – industry stakeholders that must meet the challenges of integrating energy storage that works in unison with traditional alternative energy sources
- Energy Management Systems – companies that provide tools used by operators to manage utility grids
The revised IEEE 1547-2018 standard is available for purchase now.
If you have interest in a IEEE 1547 pilot, or participation on the CASC, please contact the ICAP team.