2020 PES GM 8/5 Panel Session: Hosting Capacity Assessment with Advanced Inverter Functions

The rapid increase of solar photovoltaic and other renewable energy (RE) sources in the electric power grid is offsetting the traditional electricity generation coming from centralized generation. These distributed energy resources (DERs), which are mostly inverter based, are now installed in large enough numbers to impact the power system operation and overall system dynamic response. To streamline the interconnection process of DERs, thorough mapping of the grid hosting capacity is required to distinguish the innocuous cases from the ones that need more scrutiny. Traditionally, requirements for DERs were focused solely on distribution grid performance but the recently revised IEEE 1547 standard now includes requirements for grid support functions (GSFs), including functionality for both distribution and transmission grid support, as well as interoperability for DER systems. Similarly, grid codes around the world are also being updated to include such requirements. These functions of advanced inverters provide utility operators with new methods for voltage regulation, bulk system operation, power system visibility, and other grid services. This will facilitate higher renewable energy hosting capacity for the electric power system. Up-to-date, reliable and accessible hosting capacity information is essential to facilitate the integration of RE on distribution systems. Various jurisdictions in North America, Europe and Australia are addressing how to calculate and publicly present hosting capacity information, but do not necessarily use a common approach. In addition, the GSFs of advanced inverters will allow more renewable generation to be connected to a given point on a distribution feeder without other mitigation. However, it is not yet clear how these features can be integrated into the calculation of hosting capacity. This panel will address state-of-the-art research and demonstrations activities on hosting capacity with advanced inverter functions. Panelists will present points of views from national laboratories, utilities and software companies.