IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - May/June 2021 - 87

operate in minutes, days, or weeks. The three levels of
com--patible controls work together to provide a safe, reliable, functional interconnection that is coordinated according to standards and known characteristics of an EPS with
interconnected microgrid elements. It is important to know
the range of times related to these three levels of control
to understand the related protection functions. New and
updated standards will be a necessity as advanced hardware
and control capabilities are introduced.
Standards for microgrids and the formation of an IEEE
Standards Association (SA) working group to develop a
guide to microgrid protection are forging a pathway to
understanding and addressing safety needs. The protection standard will lead to the identification of requirements,
rules, certifications, and compatibilities. Extensive testing
using standards and certification will assure safe and reliable
operations of microgrids and interconnected EPSs. Isolating
faults is fundamental to protection. Examples of the interdependencies of standards used for designing and deploying
microgrid systems that are interconnected with a local or
area EPS and compatible with the important interdependencies appear in Figure 4.

Applicable IEEE Standards

was not allowed in IEEE Standard 1547-2003 but is required
in IEEE Standard 1547-2018, which provides requirements
for grid support. It includes requirements relevant to interconnections and interoperability regarding performance, operation
safety, maintenance, and security. It also provides specific protection related requirements such as trip timing, ride-through
limits, grounding compatibility, and when to cease to energize. It does not specify or cover mandates for the protection
of devices and interconnected EPSs. However, it has spurred
activity for protection-related guides and stipulations that are
being developed within IEEE standards groups.

Protection-Related Standards
Included in the IEEE 2030 Series
The IEEE 2030 series of standards provides guidance, recommended practices, and requirements for devices and systems.
They facilitate smart grid functionalities, such as voltage ridethrough, voltage control, and microgrid functionalities when
connected to an EPS. The original IEEE Standard 2030.5 has
been extensively modified and updated to provide for utility
management of the end-user energy environment. New provisions include demand response, load control, time-of-day
pricing, management of distributed generation, and electric
vehicles. It offers an up-to-date standard for test procedures
that includes compatibility with the Smart Energy Profile 2.0 (a
communications protocol). The use of protocols helps to determine methods for more consistent operations that incorporate
newer protection methods.
The IEEE 2030.7-2017 and IEEE 2030.8-2018 standards
were recently approved and exclusively address microgrid
controllers. They do not prescribe protection schemes de--
ployed within microgrids, including the safety functions of
individual components and assets. Nor do they mandate the
adaptation of protection schemes in transitions from gridconnected to islanded modes and the protection coordination that may be required with the distribution grid. They do

IEEE standards cover many of the interconnection, interoperability, compatibility, and electrical conformance aspects of
electrical system operations. Individual standards, series
of standards, and internationally harmonized standards are
often applied to ensure the stable and safe operation of systems and components connected to EPSs. Legacy and newly
developed standards are available for operations and protection. Figure 4 illustrates a family of IEEE and closely related
standards that influence microgrid products, system designs,
and, recently, microgrid protection. More detail is provided in
Tables 1-3, which collectively offer an overview of commonly
used IEEE standards for microgrid and DER component and
system specification, testing, and
operations. Many of the standards
apply directly to microgrids using
photovoltaics, wind, and the assoGrid Interactive Control Functions
ciated energy storage systems that
Tertiary
provide a stabilized and dispatchControl
Microgrid
able supply of energy.
Supervisory Control Functions
Secondary
IEEE 1547-2018, InterconnecControl
tion and Interoperability of DisLocal Area Controller
tributed Energy Resources With
Functions
Associated Electric Power Systems
Interfaces, is the most protectionPrimary
Device-Level Controller
relevant IEEE standard. Based on
Control
Functions
operational experience and the
proliferation of DERs, the standard
Subsecond
5-10 min
One Day to
was extensively updated in 2018.
One Week
The revisions were a major shift
for interconnections to EPSs, in that figure 3. Hierarchical control interactions that impact protection from IEEE Standard
support from interconnected DERs 2030.7.
may/june 2021

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IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - May/June 2021

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