The California Public Utilities Commission adopted advanced inverter standards last month. The Recommendations for Updating the Technical Requirements for Inverters in Distributed Energy Resources establishes new standards for advanced inverters under the Rule 21 interconnection tariff.
According to PV Magazine, California is the first state to adopt such standards, requiring the use of advanced inverters with distributed energy sources. Under the new obligations, proactive implementation of new standards for advanced inverters in California will help accelerate the transition toward affordable renewable energy, clean energy proponents believe.
The replacement of existing inverters is exempt from the new ruling, as are back-up power systems. CPUC and other utilities in the state will now work with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to harmonize federal interconnection standards, PV Magazine reported.