Webinar: Benefits of GFM Study Discussion

Featured Speakers: Ryan Quint, President and CEO, Elevate; Farhad Yahyaie, Head of Power System Studies and Modeling, Elevate; Andrew Isaacs, Vice President, Electranix; Lukas Unruh, Engineering Manager, Electranix Webinar Abstract: Grid forming (GFM) inverter technology continues to be a focal point of discussion and a potential key ingredient to the energy transition. GFM is particularly attractive in battery energy storage systems (BESS) for multiple reasons and is commercially available today. However, a small number of GFM projects exist in the US. This may be due to gaps in the “pathway to widespread adoption” of GFM technology, particularly in BESS. Limited understanding of the models and studies that prove the technology brings value and supports reliability in a larger interconnected bulk power system is an immediate challenge. To address this challenge, a study team embarked on studying the performance of GFM models supplied from multiple original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Both GFM and grid following (GFL) models were tested against the NERC GFM functional specification and test procedures. GFM BESS models were then integrated into the American Transmission Company (ATC) system in a weak network and strong network to test the performance of GFM BESS. The primary objectives of this work were to test whether GFM BESS is a “do no harm solution,” how significant growth of GFM BESS would affect system performance, how GFM BESS operates in weak and strong grids, and whether GFM can serve as a viable solution to defer other longer lead-time solution options. This webinar will cover the work done, key findings, and recommendations moving forward in this area.