Conformance testing IEEE 1547

[trichendollar]

I'm currently in the process of filling out my application for interconnection. I live in West Virginia and in it's regulations for DER and the information I have from Appalachian Power it states I will have to do Conformance Testing according to the IEEE 1547 and report my results in order to finish the interconnection process. I've been scouring the internet for information on how to perform these type of tests with no luck. According to the IEEE 1547 the test would be Utility Interactive, Islanding, Reconnection, O/U Voltage and Frequency, Synchronization, EMI, Surge Withstand, DC Injection, and Harmonics. Anyone any experience with this process or any information that can get me going in the right direction? Thanks!

 

[Madco]

Conducting that level of testing is far outside the ability of most if not nearly all people deploying this equipment.

I bet you this is just a reference to the IEEE standard and is stated by the utilitly as a "scare tactic".

I have never heard of anyone having to demonstrate anything other than anti-islanding, aka a proper and timely shutdown if the grid is interrupted.

Can you find someone else one the same utilitity to verify what they had to go through to het permission to intertie?

 

[chrisski]

Do you think they are just looking for a certificate of conformity?

THis is a link to my Outback Radian that has IEEE 1547 Jul 2023 rating.

 

[MajicDiver]

I have from Appalachian Power it states I will have to do Conformance Testing according to the IEEE 1547

I suspect you are reading a “generic “ document that includes relatively large generating systems. I’d expect if you read closely your type system is not included. Might post the documents you are looking at

 

[trichendollar]

I've attached some excerpts from the information from the power company and here a link to the complete file. It refers to two levels of generating systems Level 1 and Level 2. Level 1 any system that generates less than 25 kW
https://www.appalachianpower.com/li...rs/WVNetMeteringCustomerPackage11-15-2019.pdf

 

[MajicDiver]

Have you obtained and read these articles?

Conformance — shall mean the interconnection installation evaluation required by IEEE 1547 Section 5.3 and the commissioning test required by IEEE 1547 Section 5.4.

 

[trichendollar]

Any idea how to do the evaluation and testing required by IEEE 1547 section 5.3 and section 5.4?

 

[zanydroid]

Did you call up the utility or ask around locally?

If I moved to your area I would presume that there are minimal/zero commissioning tests, which is the standard in California.

Which is probably why it will be challenging for you to get an answer from this forum.

Since this is pretty unusual, you might also want to blast this question on more forums.

 

[zanydroid]

Another idea is to ask the vendor/manufacturers for commissioning test — description of what to run and a form to fill in and mail to the POCO.

https://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/pdfs/15a_1547_1.pdf

https://www.firstenergycorp.com/content/dam/feconnect/files/retail/Commissioning-Test-Requirements.pdf

 

[zanydroid]

Also are you sure which part of this is conformance (which the UL1741 certificates should discharge) and which is commissioning tests?

 

[zanydroid]

This page out of your POCO instructions also sounds quite normal and customer friendly . I’m digging for info based on my above hypothesis that they’re just asking for simple checkbox / send in right certificates, in scary/complicated language.

 

[MajicDiver]

Any idea how to do the evaluation and testing required by IEEE 1547 section 5.3 and section 5.4?

If you upload them we can see. Those kinds of standards are usually a lot simpler than you think at first

 

[trichendollar]

Yeah I thought the same thing when I first read it that it may just be a form that you check the box saying that it passed, but the more I went down the rabbits hole I was worried it may require some defined values from testing.

 

[zanydroid]

Not really advocating either way on using Enphase but they do have good documentation & make it easy to install in the US.

Page 30 has a flow chart, and it looks like their process actually prints out a PDF report of what you did.

https://enphase.com/download/best-practices