Dynamic Power Testing Overview

GridSim Power Lab

The energy transmission landscape is changing, and with distributed energy resources (DER) coming on-line, often as inverter-based resources (IBR) these changes to local and bulk power systems can pose significant challenges. There is an urgent need for DER players worldwide to ensure that the equipment being introduced to the grid will meet the interoperability needs of the future. The critical need to maintain grid stability, ensure power quality, enable sector coupling, deal with aging assets, and reduce costs is more important than ever. This is especially true due to the intrinsically variable nature of many DER resources. This variability is slowly but surely being compensated for by robust battery energy storage solutions (BESS). With our vast experience, we can help support both the standards as well as major manufacturers and utilities.

Our GridSim Power Laboratory is a state-of-the-art, independent facility developed to provide services for safety, reliability, and interoperability testing and certification. The lab has been specifically designed for the certification and type-testing of distributed energy resources, including battery energy storage systems and traction power systems and a wide variety of equipment at full rated power.

This newly built facility can test inverters, power converters, generators, traction power systems, and other equipment over a wide range of voltages and frequencies, and at power levels up to 12 MVA. It can perform testing to various standards, including UL 1741, including SA and SB, IEEE 1547.1-2020 UL 9540, CSA C22.2 No. 107.1, IEC 62109, IEEE 1653 and many more. This capability suits the interests of manufacturers, developers and utilities to research, develop, test, and certify new technologies. All of this supports safe renewable power integration with the grid as well as enabling electrification of mass transit systems worldwide.

Our lab can perform interoperability testing per Section 6 of IEEE 1547.1-2020 to various protocols, including SunSpec Modbus and IEEE 2030.5.

The lab is funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Energy’s Smart Grid Fund and by Alstom.

Why Our Dynamic Power Testing?

  • High Power AC and DC Solution

    We are your full-service, independent provider of grid-related testing services. Our GridSim Power Laboratory is a state-of-the-art facility designed to test grid interconnection and interoperability of renewable generation equipment, and medium voltage power systems over a wide range of AC voltages and frequencies as well as DC.

  • Your Partner in Achieving Certification

    Our experts have a comprehensive understanding of the complexity and unknowns that come up during testing. If an inverter or medium voltage power system is functioning out of bounds during type testing, our world-renowned expertise will identify, analyze, and help resolve any issues.

  • Accelerate to Market

    Inverter and Battery Energy storage system manufacturers can meet modern utility needs and offer compliant grid support to customers by certifying to UL 1741, UL9540 and other similar standards. With a qualified certification in hand, you can accelerate your products to market.

  • Major Project Cost and Time Savings

    Pre-certified inverters deliver cost and time savings by eliminating the need to demonstrate on-site grid compliance to IEEE 1547.1. One-time type-testing of inverters will soon replace field commissioning as a way of attaining grid compliance.