CODES AND STANDARDS FOR

DISTRIBUTED SOLAR GENERATION

Nexus Energytech Pvt. Ltd.

Arvind Karandikar
9011061710
arvind@nexusenergy.in
 Authorities and roles
 Ministries – Laws and Rules, Design programs and allot budgets
 Forum Of Regulators (FOR) – Decide new policies applicable
nationally, Address inter SERCs issues and achieve unfiormity in
crucial aspects
 Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) – Draft and finalise
regulations for national level including tariffs, interconnection, open
access, etc. – Advisory on subjects in State jurisdiction
 State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) – Draft and finalise
regulations for national level including tariffs, interconnection, open
access, etc. – Adopt or Edit CERC advise on subjects in State
jurisdiction
 Central Electricity Authority (CEA) – Device and lay down technical
and commercial standards, specifications and other aspects
 Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) – Publish standards for all material,
equipment and processes applicable in India
 International agencies such as IEC / UL / IEEE / Etc. ….
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 Indian Electricity Grid Code (IEGC 2010)
 Regulation by CERC, where technical and commercial
(T&C) rules for all utilities on ISTS
 One objective to develop RE by specifying T&C
aspects for grid integration
 Special conditions include Solar plants as ‘Must Run’
plants
 Data acquisition and feeding to SLDC and RLDC is
essential
 Section 5.7 under outage planning mentions that
outages where solar plants are integrated must be
planned during non-solar periods
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 CEA (Technical Standards for Connectivity
to the Grid) Regulations 2013
 Guidelines for grid connection below 33 KV

•Equipment to meet industry best practice / standards

Standards •To adhere to BIS; if not IEC / ANSI / BS / equivalent

•Must comply with CEA Regulations 2010

Safety •Measures related to safety and electricity supply

•Metering must meet specifications of CEA 2006

Metering •Installation and Operation of Meters

•Licensee to decide point, modification requirements

Interconnection •Connection agreement between developer and licensee

•Voltage and Current harmonic distortions within limits

Quality as in IEEE 519

•Distributed plant not to inject Direct Current > 0.5% of

Current full rated power at connection point
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 CEA (Installation and Operation of Meters)
Regulations 2013 – Draft
 Would be in force for all connection up to 415 V
 CEA (I&O of M) 2006 and 2010 applicable
 Distributed (roof top) plants to be connected at
LV
 Shall have bi-directional meters (not defined)
 New type RE meter to be introduced in
regulations for metering
 For FIT RE meter to be at outgoing feeder of RE
plant
 For Net Metering location to be at Consumer
meter as new or replacement
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 Draft Model Regulation for Rooftop Solar Grid
Interactive systems based on Net metering - FOR
(2013)

• Competent authority shall come out with

regulations
Interconnection • Till then as per contracted load and / or
voltage level applicable to consumer as per
State Electricity Supply Code

• CEA to come out with final regulations

• Till then bi-directional (net) meters of
accuracy class 1.0 or better
Metering • Solar meter to be of 0.2s class
• Both MRI compliant or wireless readable
• Check meters compulsory for >20kWp

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 Draft Tariff Guidelines for Solar PV Rooftop
Plants, CERC, 2010

 Additional aspects not covered otherwise:

 Projects connected below 11 KV to be considered
as roof top projects for tariff applicability
 Connection requirements to meet CEA (Technical
Standards for Connectivity to the Grid)
Regulations, 2007
 Metering according to SERC metering schedule
 Envisages Grid Meter and Solar Meter, possibly
with TOD facility

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 Draft Tariff Guidelines for Solar PV
Rooftop Plants, CERC, 2010 – Contd.
 Power quality requirements also defined here
 DC injection to be limited to 1% of the rated current of
the inverter as per IEC 61727
 Use of isolation transformer at output of inverter to
achieve this
 Total voltage harmonics distortion AC side <5%;
individual voltage harmonic distortion <3%; total
current harmonic distortion <8%
 Adequate protection at inverter level to disconnect from
grid in no supply, under and over voltage conditions
 Provision of adequate rating fuses on inverter DC side
and AC side for overload and short circuit protection
 Disconnecting switches to isolate the DC and AC system
for maintenance
 Manual disconnection switches at the inverter and fuses
in each solar array module to protect them against short
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circuit
 Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission
Distribution (Conditions of Supply) Code, 2004
 No direct mention of solar plants connectivity
 Voltage level to depend on Connected Load for each
consumer – to be decided by Engineer of distribution
 Suitable protection at connection point by developer

Connected load
Connecting Voltage
Min Max
0 (KW) 5KW / 5.55 KVA 230 V (single phase)

400 V (2Ph-3Wr or
5KW / 5.55 KVA 70 KVA
3Ph-3/4Wr)
70 KVA 555 KVA 11 KV (3Ph-3Wr)
33 KV / 11 KV (3Ph-
555 KVA 1110 KVA
9 3Wr)
 MP Distribution Supply Code – voltage
levels
Connected load
Connecting
Voltage
Min Max

230 volts
0 (KW) 3 (KW)
(single phase)

112 (KW)/ 400 volts (three

2 (KW)
150 HP phase)

50 KVA 300 KVA 11 KV

100 KVA 10000 KVA 33 KV
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 State Capacity Range Connecting Voltage
Up to 6 KW Single Phase
Gujarat 6 KW to 100 KW 415 V
100 KW to 1 MW 11 KV
Up to 5 KW 1 Phase 230 V
Kerala 5 KW to 100 KW 3 Phase 415 V
100 KW to 1 MW 3 Phase 11 KV
Up to 10 KW 240 V
10 KW to 15 KW 240/415 V
Tamil Nadu
15 KW to 100 KW 415 V
> 100 KW 11 KV
Up to 3 KW 1 Phase 230 V
Andhra Pradesh
> 3 KW 3 phase 415 V
1 kw to 5 KW 1 Phase 230 V
Karnataka 5 KW to 50 KW 3 phase 415 V
50 KW to 1 MW 11 KV
Up to 7 KW Single phase LT 230 V
Punjab 7 KW TO 25 KW 3 phase 415 V
25 KW and above 11 KV
West Bengal 100kW – 2MW LV or MV or 6 kV or 11 kV
Upto 4KW Low Voltage Single Phase Supply
Uttarakhand Load >4 kW and upto 75 kW Low voltage three phase supply
Load >75 kW and upto 1.5 MW 11 kV
11 Load >1.5 MW and upto 3 MW 11/33 kV or as per site con
 Standards referring to solar cells and modules
EN 50380 Datasheet and nameplate information of photovoltaic module.
Measurements - Reference Cells PV
IEC 61215 Crystalline silicon modules – Design qualification and type approval

IEC 61646 Thin-film modules - Design qualification and type approval

Module safety qualification - Part 1 & 2: Requirements for construction – for personnel
IEC 61730-1 / 2
safety
Standards for photovoltaic systems
Electrical installations of buildings - Part 7-712: Requirements for special installations
IEC 60364-7-712
or locations - Solar photovoltaic (PV) power supply systems
IEC 61727 Photovoltaic (PV) systems - Characteristics of the utility interface
IEEE 928 Recommended criteria for terrestrial PV power
Recommended practice for utility interface of residential and intermediate PV systems
Contains guidance regarding equipment and functions relating to personnel safety,
equipment protection, power quality, utility system operation. Also contains
IEEE 929
information regarding islanding of PV systems when the utility is not connected to
control voltage and frequency, as well as techniques to avoid islanding of distributed
resources.
Standards for other parts/components of photovoltaic systems
IEC 60947 / EN 50521 Connectors for photovoltaic systems - Safety.
Low frequency cables and wires with PVC insulation and PVC sheath – General test and
IEC 60189-1 / 2 measuring methods & Cables in pairs, triples, quads and quintuples for inside
installations
Environmental testing of specimen to withstand specific severities of repetitive and
IEC 60068-2
non repetitive nature
General requirements for empty enclosures for low voltage switchgear and control
IEC 62208
gear assemblies
Standard test and measuring methods for PVC insulated cables for working voltages up
IEC 69947
to and including 1100V, UV resistant for outdoor applications
Recommended practices and requirements for harmonic control in electric power
IEEE 519-1992
12 systems
 Way forward ……..
 CEA to finalise the regulations on Meters
incorporating RE and Solar meters
 Each state to come out with Distribution Code
with applicability to distributed (solar) power
generation
 SERCs, in tariff regulations, to cover metering,
commercial settlements, scheduling and dispatch
 BIS to come out with standards for Bi-Directional
(RE) meters
 Manufacturers to empanel with their products
with state Discoms
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 Thank you…..

Arvind Karandikar
Nexus Energytech Pvt. Ltd.
Cell: 90110 61710
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