Distributed Generation - Standards

The focus of this Application Note is on standards related to the hardware, integration and performance of renewable energy systems (as discussed in the other Application Notes to Chapter 8: Cogen, wind, BIPV and integration and interconnection).

The purpose will be to give the reader a first introduction in related standards regarding renewable energy generation by wind, photovoltaic or cogeneration. The aim is to inform the reader (for example a potential buyer or investor) about the standards applicable to renewable energy generation.

The need to standardise a material, product or system can present itself for a number of reasons: the manufacturer’s desire to have interchangeable products, public concerns about quality and compatibility, or consumer protection measures enacted by the government. A standard is a document that interested parties have agreed upon, whether it refers to the width of a railway track, or the way a solar PV installation should perform. Standards are needed so that a product can be defined technically, in terms of its various characteristics and measures of its performance. Standards also define how this should be measured and tested, and what criteria apply for passing or failing these tests.