What will inverters do in the future?

In the future, the primary function of inverters will be to provide well-regulated system voltages for loads. The challenge is to devise a set of standards that emphasizes voltage control while recognizing the physical current-carrying limits of inverters.

Can inverter-based renewable generation be controlled?

Active power control of inverter-based renewable generation is technically feasible, but such plants will require sacrificing some energy production by operating below the maximum power point to provide the necessary reserves (Hoke et al. 2017).

Can grid-following inverters recover after a power system outage?

Although modern grid-following inverters will contribute to recovery following a fault,12 black-start following a power system outage could present a challenge for situations in which inverter-based generation sources have replaced most of the synchronous resources (including those with black-start capability).

What are the standards for inverter-based generation?

As noted, standards for inverter-based generation are based on deterministic simulations of current power systems, which are dominated by synchronous machinery.

Should we transition to a grid with more inverter-based resources?

Transitioning to a grid with more inverter-based resources poses major challenges because the operation of future power systems must be based on a combination of the physical properties and control responses of traditional, large synchronous generators as well as those of numerous and diverse inverter-based resources (see Figure ES-1).

Do inverter-based resources contribute inertia to a power system?

Inverter-based resources do not contribute inertia to a power system. As traditional resources are replaced with inverter-based resources, system inertia and thus damping is reduced, making the risk of frequency swings higher (and thus are referred to as “weak grids”; see IEEE/NERC ).