What is BS EN 62116 - Islanding prevention measures for utility-interconnected PV inverters about?
BS EN 62116 is an International Standard that discusses utility-interconnected photovoltaic inverters.
The purpose of BS EN 62116 is to provide a test procedure to evaluate the performance of islanding prevention measures used with utility-interconnected PV systems.
BS EN 62116 describes a guideline for testing the performance of automatic islanding prevention measures installed in or with single or multi-phase utility-interactive PV inverters connected to the utility grid. The test procedure and criteria described are minimum requirements that will allow repeatability. Additional requirements or more stringent criteria may be specified if demonstrable risk can be shown.
Inverters and other devices meeting the requirements of BS EN 62116 are considered non-islanding as defined in IEC 61727.
BS EN 62116 may be applied to other types of utility-interconnected systems (e.g. inverter based
microturbine and fuel cells, induction, and synchronous machines). However, the technical review may be necessary for other than inverter-based PV systems.
Who is BS EN 62116 - Islanding prevention measures for utility-interconnected PV inverters for?
BS EN 62116 on test procedure of islanding prevention measures is useful for:
- Utility-interconnected PV system operators
- Electric power providers
- PV module manufacturers
- PV power system manufacturers
- Photoelectric device manufacturers
- Product designers
- Quality assurance and testing personnel
Why should you use BS EN 62116 - Islanding prevention measures for utility-interconnected PV inverters?
Islanding is a condition in which a portion of an electric power grid, containing both load and generation, is isolated from the remainder of the electric power grid. This situation is one which electric power providers (utilities) regularly contend with. The PV industry has pioneered the development of islanding detection and prevention measures. To satisfy the concerns of electric power providers, commercially-available utility interconnected PV inverters have implemented a variety of islanding detection and prevention (also called anti-islanding) techniques. The industry has also developed a test procedure to demonstrate the efficacy of these anti-islanding techniques; that procedure is the subject of BS EN 62116.
BS EN 62116 provides a consensus test procedure to evaluate the efficacy of islanding prevention measures used by the power conditioner of utility-interconnected PV systems.
Note that while BS EN 62116 specifically addresses inverters for photovoltaic systems, with some modifications the setup and procedure may also be used to evaluate inverters used with other generation sources or to evaluate separate anti-islanding devices intended for use in conjunction with PV inverters or other generation sources acting as or supplementing the anti-islanding feature of those sources.
Inverters and other devices that meet the requirements of BS EN 62116 can be deemed non-islanding, which means that the equipment can identify island circumstances and stop energizing the public electric power grid under reasonable conditions.
