Conform to Grid Codes & Maintain Compliance from
Design, Operations to Performance
Design, Validate, Control, Audit
The variable nature of renewable energy introduces power quality concerns, including frequency and voltage control, that may negatively impact the reliable performance of a power system. Grid codes, interconnection, or evacuation criteria must be followed during the proposed system design and continue to maintain compliance under grid-connected operation.
ETAP GridCode Solution is used for the Design, Analysis, Protection, Optimization, Operation & Maintenance of Renewable Energy Systems.
Solution Benefits
ETAP GridCode utilizes a model-driven electrical digital twin with automated analysis, predictive calculations, network optimization, validation processes, and intelligent, secure power plant control hardware to ensure local grid code or standards compliance throughout the power system design and operations lifecycle.
Integrated design to operations
Design and operation solutions for continuity, quality, and reliability of power supply.
Full control of the facility
Shift from static to dynamic plant control and reducing grid voltage variations & enhance grid stability.
Reduce risk in planning & operations phase
Help power plants conform to local grid standards & interconnection requirements early in the design stages.
Full network dynamics
Enhance solar plant & wind park reliability using a full dynamic network model (RMS & EMT) to stabilize and guarantee reactive power, voltage, frequency, and power quality.
Generation forecasting
Meet investor expectations through an accurate forecast of energy yield and power transfer capability.
Power conditioning
Condition power produced to interconnect with the power grid and improve overall grid performance.
Grid code compliance auditing & plant performance
Operation, maintenance, and compliance auditing including ancillary system control.
Model-driven power plant controller
ETAP Real-Time™ Model-Driven power plant eSCADA & Power Plant Controller (ePPC) for increased transparency & investment security.
Explore Solutions
ETAP GridCode provides objective assessment of grid connection for generating plants, allows for TSO/DSO based grid connection studies, design and dimensioning of RES, the configuration of optimal offshore solutions for platforms and grids & wind and PV power plant control. Leverage the Model-Driven Power Plant Controller-ePPC™ from design to operations and perform network stabilization with advanced operational planning using ETAP renewable energy management system.
Design & Analyze
Grid Compliance Studies
Validate & Deploy
Plant Controller Performance Testing
Electrical Digital Twin & Analysis
Awareness & Intelligence
Power Plant eSCADA & Preventive Maintenance
Control & Comply
Plant Controller & Compliance Reporting
Intelligent Control & Management
Grid Compliance Challenges
A renewable power plant is a huge investment that requires control, routine maintenance, and continuous insight to keep it running efficiently, safely, and profitably. Wind or solar parks require many inverters to process the output of multiple turbines or arrays. Each inverter is capable of individual control functions but must coordinate, as a unified regiment, to appear as a single source at the Point of Interconnect (POI). In today’s dynamic energy generation environment, power plant owners, therefore, require sophisticated & integrated control solutions to meet a variety of operational compliance and interconnection standards.
Key Features
Design
- Utilize & tune the Power Plant Controller in design phases & de-risk future phases
- Utilize Python® based scripting to automate studies & evaluation
- Perform Grid Studies including Harmonics, Reactive Power Capability, Switching Transients, Ride-Through and more
- Dynamic model validation & parameter tuning
- Detailed Grid Response and Plant Characteristics
- Avoid trial & error through precision tuning & control
- Flexibly expand & adapt functions to any plant topology and reliable grid integration
Operations
- Continuous Monitoring of Performance Compliance
- Solve stability problems, Operate within Stability Margins
- Single Point of Management
- Voltage Stability Monitoring & Steady-State Instability Evaluation
- Optimal Support for Commissioning
- Continuously expand compatibility for a sustainable, future-proof solution
- Modular Interfaces with a high level of scalability
- Handle protocol variety with a maximum level of flexibility
Grid Code Fundamentals
What are Grid Codes?
Grid Codes are technical specifications which define the parameters that a facility connected to a public electric network must meet to ensure safe, secure and economic proper functioning of the electric system. The facility can be a power generation plant, solar farm, or any other grid-connected source.
Operating Limits
Voltage and frequency limits or operating areas are defined where a generator is capable or expected to run permanently, regions of temporary operation time. It is not permitted to disconnect gen-set sooner than the time defined in this area.
Dynamic Grid Support
Ride Through (XXRT) functions support the grid during faults or short circuit events. There is a defined area or region where the power plant is not allowed to disconnect from the grid. The area is defined by voltage level and time and/or frequency limits and time. The RT function can be split into two main types:
Voltage Ride Through
- Low Voltage Ride Through (LVRT), supports the grid during voltage degradation
- High Voltage Ride Through (HVRT), supports grid during voltage peaks or surges
Frequency Ride Through
Frequency is one of the most important indicators of power in the grid. Falling frequency indicates lack of active power in the network and rising condition implies more active power is being generated than is necessary.
- Low Frequency Ride Through (LFRT), supports the grid during frequency decline by increasing power plant output and/or discharging stored energy.
- High Frequency Ride Through (HFRT), supports the grid during over frequency or excess generation conditions by reducing power plant output.
Reactive Power Control
Control of reactive power is a crucial aspect and indicates the voltage health of the power system. Generator operating capability is given by P/Q ratio and maximum apparent power (Smax) is determined dynamically based on this curve.
Reactive power
control is important especially in case of undervoltage when reactive power demand is increased and must be compared with the generator capability. In this situation, reactive control system may decrease real power over reactive power, without exceeding
maximum apparent power Smax.
Reactive and Power Factor Control Modes
Number of possible reactive power and power factor control modes that may be applied to satisfy local grid code requirements include but are not limited to:
- Fixed PF
- Fixed Q
- Q as function of voltage (Q-V)
- PF as function of Power (PF-W)
- Power as function of voltage (P-V)
Featured Literatures
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ETAP GridCode
ETAP GridCode utilizes a progressive electrical digital twin with automated analysis, predictive calculations, network optimization, validation processes, and intelligent power plant control hardware to ensure local grid code compliance.
What's New for Renewable Interconnection Studies in ETAP 2024
The webinar is an opportunity to discover how the features in this release of GridCode contribute to better and faster grid code compliance evaluation in an automated fashion, including real and reactive power capability, and harmonic distortion and resonance. By carefully evaluating the impact of new generation on the grid, you’ll learn how to define and produce compliance studies that help protect the system, enable renewable energy growth, and promote cost-effective grid development.
How to Perform Grid Interconnection Studies for Compliance Requirements with ETAP Grid Code™
As the global power sector rapidly transitions toward sustainable energy, the importance of grid code interconnection studies becomes paramount. The manual analysis of grid codes can be time-consuming, involving intricate scenarios and strict compliance. ETAP Grid Code is a model-driven solution that includes software tools and control hardware to ensure local grid codes or standards compliance throughout the power system design and operations lifecycle. Additionally, ETAP’s unique Power Plant Controller (ePPC) along with its digital twin, ensures accurate evaluation and study of the system's actual performance to improve compliance and minimize risk.
Understanding Grid Code, Grid Code Compliance Analysis & Reporting with ETAP
The variable nature of renewable energy introduces power quality concerns, including frequency and voltage control, that may negatively impact the reliable performance of a power system. Grid codes, interconnection, or evacuation criteria must be followed during the proposed system design and continue to maintain compliance under grid-connected operation. ETAP Grid Code is a model-driven solution that includes software tools and control hardware to ensure local grid codes or standards compliance throughout the power system design and operations lifecycle.
Short Circuit & Dynamic Modelling of Inverter-based Resources
Today’s power systems depend on renewable energy resources to meet their load demand and are typically interconnected through inverters. This webinar demonstrates how inverter-based resources are modeled for short circuit studies. It will also review various dynamic modeling approaches offered by ETAP and discuss merits and limitations of each approach.
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