IEEE Standards Association brings out first in-depth guide to enable deployment of micro grids in India

INDIA: IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA), a globally recognized standards setting body within IEEE, officially introduced the IEEE 1547.4 Guide for Design, Operation, and Integration of Distributed Resource (DR) Island Systems with Electric Power Systems.

The guide is the first in-depth resource providing alternative approaches and best practices for deployment of Distributed Resource Island systems or Micro-Grids in India. As the country’s energy demands increase, Smart Micro-Grids or DR Islands enable the use of decentralized energy and are building blocks to a smarter national grid. However, they are complex infrastructures and the connections to and fro the larger grids must be carefully and well planned for, in order to be successful.

The IEEE 1547.4 guide includes best practices for implementing the various ways in which a DR island can separate from a part of the area EPS and can reconnect to it while providing power to the islanded local EPSs.

The guide also expands on the benefits of using DRs by targeting improved electric power system reliability and builds upon the interconnection requirements of the IEEE 1547 Standard for Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems. Additionally, it provides informative background and covers distributed resources, interconnection systems and participating electric power systems. It includes sections on electric loads, utility equipment and operations, protection, controls, and system studies. Testing, communications, and, contractual and regulatory considerations are additionally cited. IEEE 1547.4-2011 is now available to the industry for purchase.

Judith Gorman, managing director of IEEE-SA, said: “The first paradigm shift in electricity generation, delivery, and control is rapidly emerging in India, with increased interest and acceleration in the implementation of a Smart Grid and the growth of renewable energy sources. The shift is moving the electricity supply away from the highly centralized service model seen today toward a more dispersed system, and distributed island resources will play a key role. The IEEE 1547.4 guide will be very relevant to the Indian energy industry as this shift continues to gain momentum.”

“In order to have successful deployments of DR island systems, careful planning, designing, integrating, testing and evaluation of the various technologies and systems must be done to ascertain their effectiveness,” said IEEE 1547.4 Working Group Chair, Benjamin Kroposki. “The IEEE 1547.4 guide addresses these areas and will be a credible resource for the energy industry.”

Srikanth Chandrasekaran, chair - India SIG, IEEE-SA, said: “A key potential benefit of DR Islands is the ability to improve the reliability of the power system by providing emergency power during interruptions of the bulk system supply. This benefit can only be realized if the DR is operated in a configuration that facilitates islanded operation. Micro-grid allows for this type of operation while also being able to capture all of the other benefits of DR such as waste-heat recovery, load reduction on the T&D system, and power quality improvements. There is rising interest in DR in India due to improvement in generation technologies, power electronics and the need for new capacity resources on the power system. The IEEE 1547.4 guide will help us apply DR in a manner that captures their potential value.”

The IEEE 1547.4 Guide addresses overall engineering concerns, identifies needs and contingencies, and discusses criteria and requirement options for DR island systems. It is organized into three major categories:

Overview: Covers types of DR islands and the general functionality of each type.
Planning and Engineering: Covers the planning and testing of appropriate engineering approaches to encompass a variety of contingencies.
Operations: Covers how a DR island is formed, the operational transition scenarios when moving to the island, as well as scenarios when transitioning back to the utility grid.