Solar Codes, Standards, and Regulatory Implementation
The solar codes, standards, and regulatory implementation activities of the Systems Integration team support the codes and standards efforts of the Market Transformation subprogram.
Within the Systems Integration subprogram, the goal is to help establish consistent codes, standards, and regulatory implementation that ensures safe integration and encourages market acceptance of solar systems. To accomplish this, activities focus on the codes, product standards, and regulatory functions that relate to grid integration. These areas are key barriers to assimilating high levels of solar electricity into the electric grid.
In addition, the Systems Integration team works closely with the Office of Electricity to gather input from stakeholders.
The following tasks within this area focus on facilitating high levels of solar electricity on the grid:
- Develop standards for operational configurations for the electric distribution system.
- Establish recommended practices for integrating into the distribution system.
- Develop consensus best practices that facilitate transmission and distribution system planning and operation for grid modernization.
- Enhance regulatory implementation and practices, including concepts to equitably pay back both customers and utilities for their solar usage.
- Establish practices for grid infrastructure regulatory implementation that allow localized energy networks such as microgrids.
- Establish a uniform document defining what triggers an impact study, what is required, how to perform the study, and what must be reported.
- Consider regulatory improvements to provide openness on the performance and reliability data of photovoltaic (PV) systems and distribution circuits.
- Consider pathways to allow safe interconnection that is virtually plug-and-play for small PV systems of less than 10 kilowatts.
- Improve methods for local siting, permitting, and inspection of solar systems.
- Establish national standards for advanced controller, inverter, and interconnection technology to allow safe operation within the North American grid.
- Establish recommendations and criteria for integration with building energy management systems, loads, and energy storage systems.