Koll’s Consulting recognizes the increasing complexity within the Renewable Energy Industry. The convergence of multiple standards and protocols has resulted in fragmented requirements, non-compatible communication platforms and ultimately caused individual technology groups to operate with limited understanding of each other's processes or requirements, often causing them to “recreate the wheel” that other groups have already done the development work on.

We think of this as a “Circle of Interoperability and Safety” and have created our Business Logo and Mission of “Helping to resolve the industry issues of interoperability” with this symbiotic circle in mind.

The following Safety Standards and Protocols are where we feel we have the most industry expertise in.

UL 1741: Standard for Inverters, Converters, Controllers, and Interconnection System Equipment for Use With Distributed Energy Resources (DER).

  • Focuses on the safety and grid-interactive performance of the power electronics.

UL 6200: Standard for Safety for Controllers for Use in Power Production.

  • Focuses on the safe operation and control of Stationary Engine Driven power production equipment.

UL 2200: Standard for Safety for Stationary Engine Generator Assemblies.

  • While not only renewables, 2200 is critical for hybrid systems or those relying on generators for backup, ensuring their safe assembly and operation. (Often combined with requirements in UL 6200 above)

UL 3141: Power Control Systems (PCS) (also including the Outline of Investigation for PCS).

  • Focuses on limits and controls to keep devices current or power within defined limits for: Power Import Limiting (PIL), Power Export Limiting (PEL), Net Energy Metering (NEM), Bus Bar Overload, Single Source/Multisource PCS etc.

IEEE 1547-2018: Standard for Interconnection and Interoperability of Distributed Energy Resources with Associated Electric Power Systems Interfaces.

  • Focuses on general technical criteria for interconnection of power equipment to the grid. (Defines the requirements tests such as reactive power capability, voltage/power control, response to abnormal conditions, islanding etc)

IEEE 1547.1-2020: Standard Conformance Test Procedures for Equipment Interconnecting Distributed Energy Resources with Electric Power Systems and Associated Interfaces:

  • Focuses on the Test Methods for verifying the requirements defined in IEEE 1547-2018 above.

Communication Protocols: (Actively Participating in the Industry working groups constantly improving these protocols)

SunSpec Modbus / Secure SunSpec Modbus: (One of three communication protocols required in IEEE 1547-2018)

IEEE 2030.5 - Common Smart Inverter Profile (CSIP)

IEEE 2030.5 - Smart Energy Profile Application Protocol (SEP2)