CA RULE21

INTERCONECTION
WITH1547
MODEFICATION BY KEERTHANA
What is IEEE 1547-2018 and what does it mean for distributed energy resources

• In April 2018, a major revision of the national standard for interconnection of distributed
energy resources (DER) was published – IEEE Standard 1547-2018, IEEE Standard for
Interconnection and Interoperability of Distributed Energy Resources with Associated Electric
Power Systems Interfaces. The standards require distributed energy resources to provide
specific grid supportive functionalities. These capabilities can then help increase the amount
of DER that can be accommodated on the grid, increase power quality for all customers, and
ensure that DERs can continue to be a reliable grid resource as penetration increases and the
grid transforms. Although all DERs will be required to have these functionalities enabled,
inverter-based DERs will utilize “smart inverters” to comply with the new standards.
• California and Hawaii have already begun deployment of some smart inverter functionality,
although work still remains to be done in those states to fully integrate smart inverter
capabilities into these markets. Other states, like Minnesota, Maryland and Illinois are just
starting down the path of how best to take advantage of smart inverter technologies.
What are the impacts of the new standards
 
• Specifically, the updated standard requires DERs to provide an array of grid
supportive functionality, including voltage and frequency ride-through, voltage
and frequency regulation, as well as communications and control functionality. In
addition to customer and grid benefits, these new requirements will enable DERs
to communicate with and receive signals from the grid. Using more sophisticated
software infrastructure, these smart inverters can also be controlled and
monitored remotely
• All parties will need to work together to apply the new concepts for higher DER
penetration. Chief among them, the IEEE 1547-2018 standards will have the
following impacts, once implemented:
• The process for customers installing DER to interconnect to the grid will change;
• DER projects will have the ability to automatically respond to certain grid conditions,
which will help avoid potential negative impacts and optimize their grid benefits;
• More DER will be capable of interconnecting to the grid under higher penetration
scenarios, without requiring costly upgrades, assuming their control functions are set
up to accommodate grid conditions; and
• Customers installing DER may see shifts in their distributed generation output under
certain scenarios, which might require new consumer protection measures.
 Now that IEEE 1547-2018 standards have been adopted,
work is underway to publish revisions to the accompanying
IEEE Standard 1547.1, IEEE Standard Conformance Test
Procedures for Equipment Interconnecting Distributed
Resources with Electric Power Systems, which will help
manufacturers as they test and certify their products to the
new 1547 standard.
What’s next
For example, solar PV and energy storage inverters are
certified and listed to UL 1741, Inverters, Converters,
Controllers and Interconnection System Equipment for Use
With Distributed Energy Resources, which meets IEEE
1547/1547.1 testing requirements. After IEEE 1547.1 is
published, likely in 2019-2020, UL 1741 will be updated to
reference the new 1547 and 1547.1 standards. From there, it
will take up to 18 months for all products to comply with the
updated requirements.
What are some considerations to keep in mind

• According to IEEE 1547-2018 standards, frequency regulation (also referred to

as frequency droop or frequency-watt) and improved power quality requirements will
be required by default. However, voltage-regulating functions (e.g., reactive power
functions, such as power factor, volt-var, watt-var, constant var, and active power
function volt-watt) are not required to be turned on by default. To make the most of
the standard and prepare for higher DER penetration in the future, state commissions
and utilities should consider the widespread use of voltage regulation early (before
high penetrations are reached) to enhance the effectiveness of these functions.
• As one of the early adopter solar states, Hawaii learned that the grid would have been
able to host higher penetrations of DER if they had been able to deploy these
functions early on. Reaching high penetration before implementing these functions
can limit their effectiveness to increase the grid’s hosting capacity for more DER.
What is rule21?
• CPUC-approved set of utility DG interconnection requirements.
Specific rule contained in the electricity tariff booklets of the investor-
owned utilities under CPUC jurisdiction (California only).
• Provides technical and procedural criteria for connecting generation
equipment to the utility distribution and sub-transmission systems.
• Rule is technology and size neutral.
BASCI RULE OF 21

• Safety Is First Priority

• Performance-Based
Technical Requirements
• Identify Review Time and
Potential Costs technology-
Neutral
• Recently Revised to Comply
with IEEE 1547-2003
 TECHNICAL
REQURIMENT OF
RULE21

• DESIGIN
• OPERATING REQURIEMENTS
• TESTING
• PRODUCTING
TESTING
RULE21
Production Testing -Commissioning Testing
1General Requirements
2Protective Functions to Be Tested
3Impact of Certification Verification of
Settings
4Trip Test
WHAT
CHANGES
AND ADDED
TO RULE 21
 IMPLICATION THAT
RULE 21CHANGES TO
HOLD
MANUFACTURER
UPDATE ON
CALIFONIA
INVERTER
INSTALLATI
ON
 • Over several years, California has developed

What is requirements for the regulation functions as well as

communications and control. Much of this effort was

happening in conducted by the Smart Inverter Working Group (SIWG),

a joint effort led by the California Public Utilities

California Commission and the California Energy Commission, with

involvement from numerous stakeholders, including
utilities, manufacturers, developers, non-profits and
other organizations.
The SIWG’s effort also informed development of the national IEEE
1547 standard.
SWIG’s consensus recommendations for updating California’s
These methodologies should be determined by
interconnection tariff (Rule 21) were developed in three phases, with
late 2018, and utilities will implement them in
adopted changes incorporated into the utilities’ Advice Letters in the
quarterly reports to the commission following
Rule 21 proceeding.
the mandatory activation of the volt-watt
Most recently, the utilities submitted revised Advice Letters to
function starting in February 2019. Similarly,
incorporate the phase 3 functions, which include the regulation
utilities will report on their voltage complaint
functions, which as mentioned above, have the potential to reduce
process to ensure that utility voltage issues are
energy production of DER projects under certain situations.
being resolved in a timely manner. Estimates of
While somewhat contentious, these updates will require the default
losses due to the frequency-watt function will
activation of the frequency-watt and volt-watt functions. IREC, the
also be reported. California’s additions to Rule
California Solar and Storage Association and other parties recommended
21 will bring it closer to the newly published
that, at a minimum, utilities adopt reporting mechanisms that could
1547 standard; however, further harmonization
identify when consumers were being unduly impacted by this
between California’s standards and IEEE 1547-
functionality.
2018 may be warranted in the future
Now is the Time: States to Lead on IEEE 1547-2018 Implementation
The rules governing the grid have been evolving for decades and will continue to evolve
as more DERs are integrated and optimized as resources. The IEEE 1547-2018 updates
and the changes underway in California represent a substantial leap from former
practices, and will require more attention from states, utilities and all involved
stakeholders. These new requirements have the potential not only to affect DER
customers and developers, but project financiers, utilities and regulators
Smart Inverter Update: New IEEE 1547 Standards and State ...
     
https://irecusa.org › Blog
REVIEW

“Just another interconnection standard” or is it…?

October 13-14, 2003 Presented by: Endecon
Engineering