4.1 ERMUSR 02-13-2018 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

SCHEDULE 3—INTERCONNECTION PROCESS,TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS,AND OPERATING PROCEDURES 8. Testing Requirements A) Pre-Certification of equipment The most important part of the process to interconnect generation with Local and Area EPS's is safety. One of the key components of ensuring the safety of the public and employees is to ensure that the design and implementation of the elements connected to the electrical power system operate as required. To meet this goal, all of the electrical wiring in a business or residence, is required by the State of Minnesota to be listed by a recognized testing and certification laboratory, for its intended purpose. Typically we see this as"UL" listed. Since Generation Systems have tended to be uniquely designed for each installation they have been designed and approved by Professional Engineers. As the number of Generation Systems installed increase, vendors are working towards creating equipment packages which can be tested in the factory and then will only require limited field testing. This will allow us to move towards"plug and play" installations. For this reason, this standard recognizes the efficiency of "pre-certification" of Generation System equipment packages that will help streamline the design and installation process. An equipment package shall be considered certified for interconnected operation if it has been submitted by a manufacture, tested and listed by a nationally recognized testing and certification laboratory(NRTL)for continuous utility interactive operation in compliance with the applicable codes and standards. Presently generation paralleling equipment that is listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory as having met the applicable type-testing requirements of UL 1741 and IEEE 929, shall be acceptable for interconnection without additional protection system requirements. An "equipment package" shall include all interface components including switchgear, inverters, or other interface devices and may include an integrated generator or electric source. If the equipment package has been tested and listed as an integrated package which includes a generator or other electric source, it shall not require further design review, testing or additional equipment to meet the certification requirements for interconnection. If the equipment package includes only the interface components (switchgear, inverters, or other interface devices), then the Interconnection Customer shall show that the generator or other electric source being utilized with the equipment package is compatible with the equipment package and consistent with the testing and listing specified for the package. Provided the generator or electric source combined with the equipment package is consistent with the testing ad listing performed by the nationally recognized testing and certification laboratory, no further design review, testing or additional equipment shall be required to meet the certification requirements of this interconnection procedure. A certified equipment package does not include equipment provided by the Area EPS. The use of Pre-Certified equipment does not automatically qualify the Interconnection Customer to be interconnected to the Area EPS. An application will still need to be submitted and an interconnection review may still need to be performed, to determine the compatibility of the Generation System with the Area EPS. B) Pre-CommissioningTests i) Non-Certified Equipment (1) Protective Relaying and Equipment Related to Islanding (a) Distributed generation that is not Type-Certified (type tested), shall be equipped with protective hardware and/or software designed to prevent the Generation from being connected to a de-energized Area EPS. (b)The Generation may not close into a de-energized Area EPS and protection provided Interconnection Process for Distributed GenerattmSystems