Smart inverters mandated for solar connections 

California’s investor-owned utilities (IOUs) mandates smart inverters on all new renewable energy interconnections through the California Public Utility Commission’s Rule 21 tariff. As smart inverter evolve, PG&E demonstration projects research how smart inverters on customers’  installations work and interact with the network. The inverters facilitate distribution system reliability and power quality in the network. Standard inverters translates electricity from solar panels and batteries from its native direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC). It’s applied on site or inserted into the grid. As for an inverter, it makes autonomous decisions to maintain the network's stability, reliability and power quality. In the future, smart inverters will be required to service the capability to retrieve remote operation guides and communicates results.
 

Efforts for clean energy growth

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) shares their results from the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) project displays the benefits of smart inverters. They’ll be installed on clean energy technologies to oversee their interaction with the grid to back efforts for clean energy growth. “We have a long history of embracing innovation and new technologies for the benefit of our customers and the communities we serve. The smart inverters being installed on our customers’ solar and energy storage systems, paired with our investment in grid operations systems and technology, show promise to facilitate distribution system reliability and power quality in the increasingly complex grid,” said Roy Kuga, vice president, Grid Integration and Innovation, PG&E. PG&E’s Grid Integration and Innovation group displays smart inverters are advantageous. Smart inverters prevent clean energy systems from adding to voltage fluctuations and adverse impacts on protection systems from reverse power flow. PG&E also tests smart inverter capabilities on commercial-scale solar installations for agricultural customers. Installing these inverters to prevent the  voltage issues, maintain electric reliability, and collaborate integration of more solar.  It’s one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. They delivers some of the cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California.
 

Ongoing projects 

PG&E is testing smart inverter capabilities on commercial-scale  installations for agricultural customers. They're connected to the same distribution line in Merced County, and  has a high penetration of solar-generated electricity and has experienced problems as a result of the amount of solar currently installed. The project installs smart inverters to prevent the inverter from contributing to voltage issues, ensure greater electric reliability, and facilitate the continued integration of additional solar. 

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