At present the California Public Utilities Fee issued a big determination permitting renewable vitality programs to be accepted to interconnect to the electrical grid utilizing an vitality export schedule (referred to as a Restricted Technology Profile or LGP) that’s designed to keep away from grid impacts. This strategy, which leverages California’s public grid knowledge, can cut back the necessity for expensive infrastructure upgrades and assist greater ranges of renewables on the grid.
The choice is the primary of its variety in america and is a serious milestone in enabling distributed vitality sources (DERs), like photo voltaic PV and vitality storage, to function in versatile ways in which align with situations on the grid. The choice was considerably formed by suggestions from the nonprofit Interstate Renewable Vitality Council (IREC).
At any given time, the electrical grid can settle for a finite quantity of energy export from producing programs without having grid upgrades. This quantity, referred to as internet hosting capability, varies all through the day and yr primarily based on grid situations. In California, utilities are required to provide detailed hourly fashions of the internet hosting capability for every node on their distribution system (referred to as the “Integration Capability Evaluation”). Underneath the Fee’s determination, clear vitality builders can use the Integration Capability Evaluation to design an LGP to make sure that a venture stays inside internet hosting capability limits, relatively than paying for grid infrastructure upgrades that might in any other case be required. As outlined within the order, “Restricted Technology Profiles specify the utmost quantity of electrical era a DER system will export to the grid at totally different occasions all year long, making certain that the venture is attentive to fluctuating grid constraints at totally different occasions.”
Along with ruling that utilities in California should enable venture builders to make use of LGPs primarily based on the Integration Capability Evaluation within the interconnection course of, the fee resolved different key points in its determination together with:
- the sorts of management programs that can be utilized to regulate the export of energy from a system;
- the allowable format of LGPs, together with what number of occasions per yr a venture can change its output;
- and the situations wherein a utility can be permitted to curtail the output of a system in ways in which differ from the initially accepted LGP.
The Fee dominated that licensed energy management programs, units that electronically management the ability output of producing services, would be the major choice that builders can use to handle the LGPs of interconnecting programs. The LGP choice will develop into efficient 9 months after UL contains the scheduling operate in its certification normal for energy management programs.
One other key concern addressed within the determination considerations the format of the LGPs, particularly what number of totally different export ranges a renewable vitality system can be allowed to have all year long, and the way typically these ranges might change (known as an “LGP configuration”). The choice approves utilizing a 24-value configuration advisable by IREC, wherein a system’s export ranges can range as much as 24 occasions per yr.
As IREC acknowledged in feedback cited by the Fee, “This strategy will enable initiatives to design configurations that make the most of the particular day by day and seasonal peak intervals that come up on the venture’s proposed location on the grid.” This stands in distinction to a competing proposal put forth by utilities that might have restricted LGP configurations to no a couple of totally different worth per thirty days, which might have didn’t seize the necessary peak load intervals through the day, and would have rendered the LGP of restricted worth to DER builders.
The fee adopted three totally different codecs of 24-value configurations; prospects can select the format that makes essentially the most sense given the situations at their venture website. It’s unlucky, nonetheless, that the Fee handed on the chance to make sure the 24-value codecs align with the exact time intervals mirrored within the time of use price it has adopted (for instance permitting blocks from 4 to 9 p.m.). It could be best if venture builders may additionally suggest customized schedules (nonetheless restricted to 24 modifications per yr) to higher align with native grid situations and time-of-use charges. However, IREC commends the choice total, as it’s a vital development for enabling the flexibleness and grid assist advantages that DERs can present.
A 3rd, vital concern addressed within the determination pertains to situations wherein utilities can be permitted to completely curtail the ability output of a renewable vitality system (exterior of emergency conditions) in ways in which deviate from the agreed-upon LGP as a result of altering grid situations. Utilities expressed considerations that if grid situations modified sooner or later grid, grid upgrades could be required after an LGP venture is interconnected to permit it to proceed to export energy on the ranges agreed upon within the LGP.
If such a case arose, utilities wished permission to completely curtail energy era from affected LGP-interconnected programs or to require the venture developer to pay for the price of wanted upgrades. Aligning with suggestions from IREC, the Fee restricted the situations wherein long-term or everlasting curtailment can be allowed, thus higher defending venture builders from monetary danger. Such curtailment might solely be accomplished in situations when there’s a “sustained load discount.” The Fee moreover asserted that the utility is liable for upgrades to keep away from such conditions. In distinctive circumstances, a utility might “apply for a tariff deviation to request permission for everlasting curtailment in the event that they consider that enterprise an improve is just not an affordable use of ratepayer funds or is unreasonably expensive…”
IREC believes that this end result is a passable decision that mitigates danger for venture builders whereas offering affordable assurances for ratepayers. The Fee additionally ordered the gathering of knowledge to trace the prevalence of required curtailments and grid upgrades for LGP services, and it left open the potential for making future modifications to this coverage.
California’s forthcoming adoption of Restricted Technology Profiles within the interconnection course of leads the best way for extra progressive interconnection approaches that unlock the total capabilities of DERs. For extra element on this determination, go to IREC’s detailed web page on-line.
Information merchandise from IREC
