Certified Open Source Software to Support the Interconnection Compliance of Distributed Energy

This project developed, certified, and demonstrated an open source communication software that is an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 2030.5 client for smart distributed energy resources, which meets the new California Rule 21 requirements. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 2030.5 architecture is a client-server and the client component that resides in end devices such as an inverter gateway or an aggregator control system. This open source client is available to large numbers of inverter and system manufacturers for use in their products.
The project also developed a certification procedure and the associated test software allowing any system or device to be checked for compliance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 2030.5 communication standard — a major step toward achieving interoperability. The certification procedure creates an opportunity for independent evaluation, provides manufacturers with an unbiased assessment of their products, and provides both business and individual consumers with assurance that their purchases will work as expected.
The end products resulting from this project will help ensure that distributed energy resource equipment or systems remain compatible with value-added opportunities over their service life and allow California ratepayers to accelerate the adoption of increased grid-tied solar generation.