Hello all! I am wondering if anyone could point me to useful resources, or provide any information, around control/protection architecture for the integration of utility scale solar and battery storage into a 33kV/13.8kV substation. Details below.

There are several resources available that could help design the control and protection architecture for a solar and battery storage system integrated into a 33kV/13.8kV substation. Here are a few suggestions:

1. IEEE Standards: The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has published several standards related to renewable energy systems, including solar and battery storage systems. Some relevant standards include IEEE 1547 (Interconnection and Interoperability of Distributed Energy Resources with Associated Electric Power Systems Interfaces), IEEE 1547.1 (Standard Conformance Test Procedures for Equipment Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems), and IEEE 1547.3 (Guide for Design, Operation, and Integration of Distributed Resource Island Systems with Electric Power Systems). These standards guide interconnecting distributed resources with electric power systems and can help design the control and protection architecture.

2. Sandia National Laboratories: Sandia National Laboratories has researched renewable energy systems, including solar and battery storage systems, and has published several reports on their findings. Some relevant reports include "Control and Protection System Design for Modern Solar Power Plants" and "Reactive Power Control and Voltage Stability of Distributed Photovoltaic Power Plants". These reports provide insights into control and protection system design for solar power plants and can be useful in designing the control and protection architecture.

3. Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI): The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has published several reports on renewable energy systems, including solar and battery storage systems. Some relevant reports include "Battery Energy Storage System Handbook for Cost Estimation and Technical Analysis" and "Utility-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Power Plants: A Project Developer's Guide". These reports provide information on battery energy storage systems and solar power plant development and can help design the control and protection architecture.

4. Consult with Experts: It's important to consult with experts in the field of renewable energy systems, including solar and battery storage systems, to get advice on designing the control and protection architecture. This could include consulting with engineers who specialize in solar and battery storage systems, as well as consulting with equipment vendors who supply solar and battery storage equipment.

In terms of specific issues to consider when designing the control and protection architecture, some additional factors to consider include:

• Voltage Regulation: The solar and battery storage system may need to provide voltage regulation to ensure the voltage at the interconnection point remains within acceptable limits.

• Power Factor Correction: Inverter-based resources, such as solar and battery storage systems, typically have a leading power factor, which can cause issues with voltage stability. Power factor correction may be necessary to address this issue.

• Islanding: It's important to ensure that the solar and battery storage system does not continue to operate in island mode if there is a fault on the utility grid. Proper detection and control mechanisms must be implemented to ensure that the solar and battery storage system disconnects from the grid in the event of a fault.

• Cybersecurity: The control system for the solar and battery storage system must be designed to be secure from cyber attacks.

Designing the control and protection architecture for a solar and battery storage system integrated into a 33kV/13.8kV substation requires careful consideration of many factors. The resources and factors outlined above should provide a good starting point for designing the control and protection architecture.

Hi David,

ABB Ltd. in Dublin have good resources to support you, when it comes to protection relays, MV swgr and experience for renewable plants. I assume that your site is NOT island grid operation, as you mention a 33kV voltage level. In case you have island grid operation one more point to think about is fault current contribution, as this is a weakness of inverter based generation.