At Intersolar North America, TUV Rheinland, a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL), will introduce a smart inverter testing program that enables the grid-connect functions for the emerging architecture of string and micro-grid deployments.

The program was discussed publically with the California Energy Commission and will evaluate smart inverters for critical functionality in five key areas: Connect/Disconnect; Real Power Curtailment; Low/High Voltage Ride-Through; Low/High Frequency Ride-Through; and Volt-VAR Control. These functions are identified in the IEEE 1547a specification and will soon be mandated in the California grid under Rule 21 regulation.

"TUV Rheinland is pleased to be the global leader in advanced inverter testing," said Matthias R. Heinze, TUV Rheinland Group, Vice President, Global Business Field Solar/Fuel Cells.

"As an example, TUV Rheinland has contributed to the development of the SunSpec Inverter Control specification. This specification enables products from any inverter manufacturer to present a standard command and control interface from the plant to the utility. The SunSpec standard enables solar generating plants to accelerate deployment, interchange equipment from different manufacturers seamlessly for ease of maintenance, and increase return on investment."

"Adoption of smart inverter functions, including the incorporation of the SunSpec Inverter Control standard, is an important benefit in the development of the solar industry," said Tom Tansy, Chairman of the SunSpec Alliance.

"Solar PV power plants have the potential to provide marketable energy attributes beside real power. The functionality unleashed by this program increases the value of solar PV and makes it possible to deploy large numbers of solar power plants, even in grids with high amounts of renewable energy plant capacity."

"As self-certification is not the best business practice for the critical infrastructure asset, our efforts to certify communication aspects, followed by functionality, interoperability and cyber-security, are a critical part of the successful deployments," said Sarbjit Shelopal, Field Manager, TUV Rheinland.