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Fuel Cell Utility Interconnection
by Steve Hester, National Hydrogen Association
The interconnection of fuel cells was one of the topics of a presentation and discussion at the DOE Fuel Cell Summit May 29 and 30 in College Park, Maryland. Interconnection of fuel cell and other hydrogen-fueled generation can benefit from the efforts done initially in the photovoltaics community and currently on-going for all distributed generation.
One of the potential barriers to the development of a viable market for fuel cells and hydrogen-fueled generation is the issue of connecting a fuel cell to a utility grid. Several ongoing demonstrations and pilot programs have indicated that this integration can be easy and simple. However, the ability to interconnect a fuel cell with the grid is controlled by the state and local electric utility interconnection rules and requirements and the local permit inspection and approval requirements. Unfortunately these requirements vary widely, are somewhat size and location dependent, and are, therefore, unknown to a manufacturer or installer of a fuel cell. It obviously does not make economic sense to have a special design for a family of devices in order to comply with all of the various interconnection requirements. Fortunately, there have been several activities related to standardization of the interconnection of distributed generation sources underway for several years.
A considerable amount of the effort is complete or is well underway, but specifics related to fuel cells may need to be considered. A short history of interconnection is warranted. In January of 2000, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Standards Board passed IEEE 929-2000, Recommended Practice for Utility Interface of Photovoltaic (PV) Systems. This document is the result of a substantial collaborative effort by utility engineers, PV manufacturers, and other stakeholders to address interconnection issues for small (specifically less than 10 kW, but the document describes criteria for up to 250 kW) PV systems nationwide. The development of IEEE 929-2000 was coordinated with a parallel effort within Underwriters Laboratories (UL) to establish test procedures certifying the requirements of IEEE 929-2000 are met. In May 1999, UL 1741 Static Inverters and Charge Controllers for Use in Photovoltaic Power Systems was released, and this document has been updated several times since.
The largest effort that is relative to fuel cells is the efforts to establish the IEEE 1547 Standard for Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems. This effort started in April 1999 and issuance of a preliminary usable draft document is planned for this year. More information on this valuable effort can be obtained at: http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/scc21/1547. Safety, for the utility lineman, for the generation and utility equipment, and for the customer is the primary concern throughout the development of this interconnection standard.
It is important to note, however, that these technical standards are voluntary, meaning that state utility commissions and individual utilities must choose to adopt them. While it is encouraging to see that many utilities and utility commissions have adopted IEEE 929 and UL 1741, and many may adopt the final IEEE 1547, widespread adoption of IEEE 1547 will require a continued education effort on the part of all interested parties.
There are other barriers to simplified interconnection of fuel cells, beyond the development and adoption of uniform technical interconnection standards discussed above. These barriers are centered on issues related to the legal and contractual relationship between the utility and the customer, the allocation of potential liabilities associated with the operation of customer-owned generation system, and the types of fees and other charges that the utility imposes on the customer’s fuel cell facility. Click here to read a brief discussion of each of these issues.
Additional Resources
Several important resources are available to obtain more information related to interconnection. Two web sites have relevant and important information.
The first, www.irecusa.org/connect is from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council's Interconnection Project and provides technical information on states and utilities development of interconnection rules for distributed generation and renewable energy systems. This project serves as an information clearinghouse on interconnection issues.
The second is www.dsireusa.org which is the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE), a comprehensive listing of information on state, local, utility, and selected federal incentives that promote renewable energy.
Another valuable source of interconnection information is a booklet entitled Making Connections: Case Studies of Interconnection Barriers and Their Impact on Distributed Power Projects. This guide provides an excellent overview of all the issues, both technical and non-technical, written in an easily understandable format. It discusses a broad range of distributed generation issues including building codes and local covenants. The PDF version of the document may be obtained at: www.eren.doe.gov/distributedpower (scroll down to "DPP Library Spotlight").
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