Inverter disconnect events increasingly pose a reliability risk
with the growth of solar generation.
On June 8, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation
(NERC) released its report on the loss of 1,200 MW of solar
generation in southern California during a system disturbance that
unexpectedly caused inverters at solar generation facilities to
trip or momentarily cease to operate. The report provides solar
plant owners and engineers with recommendations to prevent future
occurrences. According to NERC, inverter disconnect events pose an
increasing reliability risk given the expansion of solar
generation.
Growing solar penetration has made the response of solar
generators to system disturbances more critical. If NERC and
utility-scale solar generators adopt the report’s
recommendations, the likelihood of both recurrences and
government-imposed regulations will be reduced. The Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission’s (FERC’s) recent orders
requiring renewable
