Frame

Meeting Summary - 04/18/2025 IBRWG Meeting

Grid Monitor AI
04/18/2025

<div class="news-image-container"><img src="/storage/docs/2025/04/20250418IBRWGHero.png" width="830" height="466" /></div> <h3>▶️1 - Antitrust Admonition</h3> <h3><a href="/sharing/?token=4963a9d6-55b6-4342-92f4-62f7b75dd20f">▶️</a>2 - NOGRR245 IBR Capability Maximization – Lessons Learned</h3> <a href="/storage/docs/2025/04/Elevate_NOGRR245_Lessons_Learned-ERCOT_IBRWG_April_2025.pdf">Elevate_NOGRR245_Lessons_Learned-ERCOT_IBRWG_April_2025.pdf</a> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Elevate Energy Consulting and GridStrong teams involved in NOGRR245 exercises to improve Inverter-Based Resource (IBR) capabilities.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Goals include reducing risks and improving IBR ride-through capability.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Experience with over 100 units; lessons are shared anonymously.</li> </ul> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Explained the NOGRR245 process and its frequency ride-through requirements.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Provided examples of IBR capability assessments and adjustments.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Success of NOGRR245 in maximizing IBR performance and reliability.</li> </ul> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Maximization involves configuring IBR plant protections within equipment ratings to maximize ride-through capability.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Coordination and optimization of protections are necessary without exceeding equipment ratings.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">OEM settings, ride-through curves, and protection coordination play a role in this process.</li> </ul> <h4>Challenges Identified</h4> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Varied interpretations of 'maximization' without standard guidelines.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Inconsistent settings and documentation from OEMs and across different models.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Difficulties in aligning commissioning practices for new assets with maximization goals.</li> </ul> <h4>Recommendations</h4> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Develop a standardized framework for IBR parameter settings accessible to stakeholders.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Use of standardized data formats (IBR file) to ensure consistency and streamline RFI processes.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Establish collaborations to address data access and settings at an industry level.</li> </ul> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Questions about protection settings and their impacts on inverters.</li> </ul> <h3><a href="/sharing/?token=6957b57e-b270-46ec-841f-79600282c589">▶️</a>3 - NOGRR245 IBR Capability Maximization – Lessons Learned (Zero Emission Grid) Mike Tabrizi, Zero Emission Grid</h3> <a href="/storage/docs/2025/04/NOGRR-245-RFI-ZeroEmissionGrid-April-18-2025.pdf">NOGRR-245-RFI-ZeroEmissionGrid-April-18-2025.pdf</a> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Acknowledged agreement with some presentation points; ZEG’s experience categorized into older plants with outdated inverters and OEMs, affecting plan verification and PGRR109 requirements.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Newer projects experienced smoother processes due to better organization and verification compliance.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Emphasized the importance of engineering assessment over purely numerical or document-based approaches to determine maximization capabilities.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Sophisticated entities avoid overcommitting to RFI without sufficient engineering analysis, planned for full assessment by December 2025.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Discussed various requirements (FRT, IEEE, VRT) based on resource entities' type, SGIA execution, and GIM execution post August 1st, 2024.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Highlighted the necessity for extensive internal analysis of inverter capabilities relative to plant-level operations.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Encouraged utilizing detailed PSCAD simulations for a realistic assessment of maximization capabilities.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Outlined challenges in translating inverter specs to plant capability due to data gaps and overwhelming OEM data.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Raised questions regarding ERCOT's DocuSign review process, the binding nature of submissions, potential for extensions, post-submission steps, and other areas needing clarity.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Stressed the need for holistic capability assessments while avoiding reliance solely on broader spec values.</li> </ul> <h3><a href="/sharing/?token=983773d7-17c8-4aa2-8fdc-97533cd67634">▶️</a>4 - Comparison of NERC PRC-029, IEEE2800, NOGRR255</h3> <a href="/storage/docs/2025/04/IBRWG-PRC-028-IEEE2800-and-NOGRR255-April-18-2025.pdf">IBRWG-PRC-028-IEEE2800-and-NOGRR255-April-18-2025.pdf</a> <h3> </h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">NERC’s PRC-028 standard was approved in February 2024 and takes effect July 1, 2025.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The standard aims to improve disturbance data reporting from inverter-based resources (IBRs), driven by recent disturbances and reliability concerns.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">PRC-028 applies to both new and existing IBRs.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">In contrast, IEEE 2800 only applies to new units, and NOGRR255 (ERCOT rule) applies to both but with different levels of rigor.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">One key difference: PRC-028 drops the requirement for feeder-end fault recording, which NOGRR255 retains (at least SOE data for the last 10% of IBRs per feeder).</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Data requirements across standards include fault recording, SOE (Sequence of Events), and DDR (Dynamic Disturbance Recording).</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">NOGRR255 adds monitoring of specific control commands and mode values, which aren’t required by PRC-028 or IEEE 2800.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Presented details of differences for sampling rates, DDR output rates, time synchronization requirements, data retention and reporting timelines, and the restoration of failed equipment. </li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Overall, NOGRR255 is stricter than PRC-028 in most technical areas, though PRC-028 has tighter deadlines and more rigid completeness expectations.</li> </ul> <h3><a href="/sharing/?token=94f64deb-cff1-45ed-9d93-de40afded781">▶️</a>5 - Other NERC Updates</h3> <a href="/storage/docs/2025/04/250418-IBRWG-NERC-update.pdf">250418-IBRWG-NERC-update.pdf</a> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">FERC directed NERC to develop standards for integrating IBRs</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">PRC-028 and PRC-030 have been approved; PRC-029 is still under FERC review.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">PRC-029 received 23 comments, mostly about exemptions.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Milestone Three includes three major projects on modeling and validation.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Project 2020-06 defines terms like "validation" vs. "verification."</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Project 2021-01 focuses on MOD-033: validating models using system events.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Project 2022-02 updates MOD-032, IRO-010, and TOP-003 for IBR data needs.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Initial balloting opens this month; feedback is encouraged even if ballots fail.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Technical conference scheduled for June (hybrid format).</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">All Milestone Three deliverables due to FERC by November 2025.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">NERC issued a public report on IBR model deficiencies (April 1).</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Over 50% of IBR models do not match actual capabilities.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Common issues: ride-through accuracy, limited VAR support (triangle limit).</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Texas data quality is slightly better than national average.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">New Level 3 Alert expected this summer with required data submissions.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">NERC plans to register Category 2 IBRs (>20 MVA, ≥60 kV) under a new “GO-IBR” category.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">No formal exemption process for PRC-029 yet; could model after CIP exceptions.</li> </ul> <h3><a href="/sharing/?token=1e3a3aba-603e-44fd-9d2e-f07ff746c026">▶️</a>6 - Other Industry Updates</h3> <a href="/storage/docs/2025/04/ERCOT_IBRWG_Industry_Updates_041825_v1.pdf">ERCOT_IBRWG_Industry_Updates_041825_v1.pdf</a> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Spring technical workshop featured topics important to IBRWG, including sessions on oscillations and stability, grid forming inverters, and North Corridor 901 milestone three.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ontario IESO has included a requirement for all battery energy resources to have grid forming capability in their connection assessment application, aiming to future-proof the system.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">EPRI study in South Texas highlighted stability benefits of grid forming batteries and the importance of strategic placement for optimal effectiveness. This may involve case-specific tuning.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Examples were provided of grid forming applications next to data centers and in the Chilean system, demonstrating benefits for voltage and frequency control, inertia, and system stability.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Global tracking of interconnection requirements and specifications for grid forming is ongoing, including recent updates like FinGrid's publication.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Discussion on i2X first, a DOE funded project addressing long interconnection queue waits and standards for inverter-based resources, focusing on improving interconnection reliability.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Highlights from the ECIC technical workshop included discussions on conformity assessment, model validation efforts, periodic testing, and standards comparison.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Upcoming i2X first meeting on April 29 will focus on voltage support, including discussions on VARs at night, voltage control, and reactive power requirements.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Survey launched for feedback on i2X first meetings to improve the next round focusing on the adoption of IEEE 2800 and grid forming specifications, expected to start in May.</li> </ul> <h3><a href="/sharing/?token=0eee6904-0726-4d69-ba8e-a35952b79ef2">▶️</a>7 - Other Business</h3> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Participants were invited to bring up any additional items.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Link was shared in the chat for signing up for the April first meeting.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The shared link also contains recordings and summaries of previous events.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">No further questions were raised.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Meeting concluded with thanks and a note to see attendees in May.</li> </ul>   <h3> </h3>