Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Standards and Certifications in the United States: 2023 Overview and Status Update

Distributed energy resource (DER) standards and certifications are constantly evolving to accommodate technology advancements and increasing grid penetrations while striving to ensure system safety and reliability. Associated new development and refinement efforts seek to coordinate compliance requirements pertaining to interconnection and interoperability, as well as equipment capabilities and functional configurations. This paper provides an overview and latest status update of key DER interconnection standards and certifications in North America that are predominately relevant to the distribution system, briefly explaining their scope, interrelation, and outlook. It, for example, illustrates the relationship between IEEE 1547, UL 1741, and the Conformance Requirement Decision for Power Control Systems (CRD for PCS), and depicts the standards and/or certifications that apply to different technologies.