Lab Tests: Verifying That Smart Grid Power Converters Are Truly Smart

During the last few years, many countries around the world have seen a massive deployment of distributed energy resources (DERs) in their distribution systems. In certain regions, penetration has reached levels that increasingly challenge traditional power system management, affecting the overall stability, reliability, and efficiency of grids. The uncoordinated response of large numbers of DERs may even put overall grid security at risk. This fact was clearly highlighted by the famous 50.2 Hz problem in Europe: it was discovered that the simultaneous tripping of several gigawatts of DERs due to a minor overfrequency event could potentially lead to an undersupply in the European power system so large that it could not be compensated for by using conventional reserve capacities.