IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - November/December 2021 - 28

contingencies. IBR penetration levels and system characteristics
are defining dominant stability concerns. Frequency,
voltage, and control instability manifest themselves in new
ways, and the system may fail faster and without warning as
IBR penetration grows.
There are many mitigation options, such as installing
SynCons, maintaining inertia from synchronous machines,
control tuning, and coordination, as well as adding grid
forming technologies. However, each of these can also cause
new challenges. System operators should define needs for
future scenarios under normal and defined contingency
conditions, using simulation and modeling methods that can
accurately account for IBRs (for example, EMT and cosimulation
techniques). These necessities should then be translated into
well-defined technology-agnostic services. Clear performance
requirements should address reliability gaps and enable costeffective
provision from a variety of existing and new technologies,
recognizing their capabilities and limitations.
GFM technology is a necessary enabler of the high penetration
of IBRs but not sufficient to resolve all issues. GFM
batteries can be considered " low-hanging fruit " compared
to wind and solar GFM IBRs. They are a commercially
available technology with fewer tradeoffs around design and
implementation. However, their projected installed capacity
must be considered. Developers should examine current
and future benefits when choosing between GFM and GFL
technology for newly planned batteries. Moreover, inverterbased
network assets, such as static synchronous compensators
and HVdc links, may need to be equipped with GFM
capabilities combined with a sufficient energy buffer to mitigate
stability challenges. Thus, IBRs themselves can become
a " new-found strength in traditional weakness. "
There is a need for advanced tools to study new phenomena
and controls, driving requirements for high-fidelity
models, study techniques, and hardware and software capabilities.
Planners also need guidance on where conventional
simulation techniques are still adequate and where advanced
tools and models are necessary. Weaknesses that accompany
the displacement of synchronous generation present a challenge
and opportunity for the future. New strengths must be
found. Introducing novel options that replace and improve
lost functions can assure a future grid that is effectively
stronger than ever, with more stable, robust, and economical
performance than the traditional networks being left behind.
Well-defined and incentivized system services, provided by
new, capable technologies and supported by advanced study
techniques and tools, are the keys to unlock the full potential
of future power systems.
For Further Reading
B. Badrzadeh et al., " The need for enhanced power system
modeling techniques and simulation tools, " CIGRE Sci.
Eng. J., vol. 17, pp. 30-46, Feb. 2020.
" Reliability guideline: Improvements to interconnection
requirements for BPS-connected inverter-based resources, "
28
ieee power & energy magazine
NERC, Atlanta, GA, Sept. 2019. [Online]. Available: https://
www.nerc.com/comm/PC_Reliability_Guidelines_DL/
Reliability_Guideline_IBR_Interconnection_Requirements
_Improvements.pdf
" Stability definitions and characterization of dynamic
behavior in systems with high penetration of power electronic
interfaced technologies, " IEEE PES Technical Report
PES-TR77, May 13, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://
resourcecenter.ieee-pes.org/publications/technical-reports/
PES_TP_TR77_PSDP_STABILITY_051320.html.
" Grid forming inverters tutorial, " EPRI, 3002018676,
2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.epri.com/research/
products/000000003002018676
D. Ramasubramanian and E. Farantatos, " Representation
of grid forming virtual oscillator controller dynamics with
WECC generic models, " in Proc. IEEE Power & Energy Society
General Meeting, 2021, pp. 1-5.
" GC0137: Minimum specification required for provision
of GB grid forming (GBGF) capability, " National Grid
Electricity System Operator, Feb. 2021. [Online]. Available:
https://www.nationalgrideso.com/industry-information/
codes/grid-code-old/modifications/gc0137-minimum-speci
fication-required
Biographies
Julia Matevosyan is with the Electric Reliability Council of
Texas, Austin, Texas, 76574, USA.
Jason MacDowell is with General Electric, Schenectady,
New York, 12345, USA.
Nick Miller is with HickoryLedge, Delmar, New York,
12054, USA.
Babak Badrzadeh is with Aurecon, Melbourne, 3008,
Australia.
Deepak Ramasubramanian is with the Electric Power
Research Institute, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37932, USA.
Andrew Isaacs is with Electranix, Winnipeg, R3Y 1P6,
Canada.
Ryan Quint is with the North American Electric Reliability
Corporation, Atlanta, Georgia, 30326, USA.
Eckard Quitmann is with Enercon, Aurich, 26605, Germany.
Ralph Pfeiffer is with Amprion, Dortmund, 44263, Germany.
Helge Urdal is with Urdal Power Solutions, Otley, LS21
3LY, UK.
Thibault Prevost is with Réseau de Transport d'Électricité,
Paris, 92800, France.
Vijay Vittal is with Arizona State University, Tempe,
Arizona, 85287, USA.
Dennis Woodford is with Electranix, Winnipeg, R3Y
1P6, Canada.
Shun Hsien Huang is with the Electric Reliability
Council of Texas, Austin, Texas, 76574, USA.
Jon O'Sullivan is with EirGrid, Dublin, D04 FW28,
Ireland.
p&e
november/december 2021

http://www.nerc.com/comm/PC_Reliability_Guidelines_DL/reliabity_guideline_ibr_interconnection_requirements_improvements.pdf http://www.nerc.com/comm/PC_Reliability_Guidelines_DL/reliabity_guideline_ibr_interconnection_requirements_improvements.pdf http://www.nerc.com/comm/PC_Reliability_Guidelines_DL/reliabity_guideline_ibr_interconnection_requirements_improvements.pdf http://www.nerc.com/comm/PC_Reliability_Guidelines_DL/reliabity_guideline_ibr_interconnection_requirements_improvements.pdf http://resourcecenter.ieee-pes.org/publications/technical-reports/pes_tp_tr77_psdp_stability_051320.html http://resourcecenter.ieee-pes.org/publications/technical-reports/pes_tp_tr77_psdp_stability_051320.html http://resourcecenter.ieee-pes.org/publications/technical-reports/pes_tp_tr77_psdp_stability_051320.html https://www.epri.com/research/products/000000003002018676 https://www.epri.com/research/products/000000003002018676 https://www.nationalgrideso.com/industry-information/codes/grid-code-old/modidications/gc0137-minimum-specification-required https://www.nationalgrideso.com/industry-information/codes/grid-code-old/modidications/gc0137-minimum-specification-required https://www.nationalgrideso.com/industry-information/codes/grid-code-old/modidications/gc0137-minimum-specification-required

IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - November/December 2021

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