Energy Commission studies quality of Distributed Generation

The California Energy Commission has released results of its study on measuring the quality of distributed generation:

To help gather data from each site, Reflective Energies used a network of advanced ION® power quality monitors and software from Power Measurement (www.pwrm.com). According to Edan Prabhu of Reflective Energies, the findings of this study will help to promote an improved understanding of the DG-grid interface, “and in the long run, may help to support faster, more affordable and reliable interconnections between distributed generation assets and the California grid.”

To gather the necessary data, Reflective Energies equipped each site with one ION 7600 power quality monitor on the electric generator, and another at the “point of common coupling” where the utility power lines meet the customers’ power lines. These dual monitors helped to identify any changes in power quality, both when the DG was running, and when it wasn’t. Each device was configured to monitor multiple energy parameters — including voltage, frequency, waveform distortion, harmonics, and flicker — and report this data to a centrally located PC workstation, where it was evaluated using ION Enterprise® energy management software. The resulting information helped determine whether power quality events were initiated by the grid or the DG asset.

According to Edan Prabhu, the ability to continually monitor and analyze real-time and logged system data at multiple locations was a key element of this study, and an important step towards understanding the interaction between the grid and the DG assets. “As more such information is gathered,” Prabhu said, “the cumulative results of these studies will provide a better picture of DG-grid interface behavior, and help engineers to better understand and evaluate DG interconnections.”

If successful, distributed generation could allow companies to avoid potential price-gouging from incumbent utilities.