Practical Microgrid Protection Solutions: Promises and Challenges

Microgrids and inverter-based resources (IBRs) offer an exciting promise of clean, renewable, and resilient energy. However, these emerging technologies pose a new set of challenges due to simulated inertia, limited overload current contributions, firmware-based inverter behavior, and more. This article explains some of these challenges and shares several common techniques used to overcome them with programmable protective relays (PPRs).