Standards and Guidelines for Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Generation Systems: A Review and Comparison

Motivated by concerns about the environment and energy shortages, considerable progress has recently been made in the development of photovoltaic (PV) and other forms of distributed generation. These developments have contributed greatly to awareness of the importance of renewable energy and governmental policies to revise energy priorities to ensure the adoption and significant growth of renewable energy. Safely and reliably interconnecting various PV generators is a major challenge in the development of modern power systems and the interconnection of PV may have effects that require close attention. Standards or guidelines for grid-connected PV generation systems considerably affect PV development. This investigation reviews and compares standards and guidelines for distributed generation, and especially for PV integration. Pertinent standards and guidelines that ensure the successful operation of PV systems are presented. This investigation serves as a reference for improving standards for grid-connected PV generation systems.

I. Introduction

The number of applications of solar, wind, and other renewable energies will increase rapidly as governments aggressively promote them and premium feed-in tariffs are globally established. Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems represent one of the fastest growing sources of renewable energy that are integrated into distribution systems. As the penetration of distributed generation resources increases in the grid, certain technical aspects of renewable energy integration must be considered. Since renewable energy sources are intermittent, their large-scale connection to power grids may dramatically influence the operation of distribution systems. Accordingly, appropriate preventative measures and protective equipment must be developed to ensure the safety and reliability of the power supply [1]–[3].