Technical Work Group:
Network Interconnection Resources
Current Activity
- 2007-2009: Collaboration for Relaying and Control Technology Development for Spot Networks
- June 2008 -- Non-Exporting Photovoltaic System Study, by New Energy Options, Inc. for Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
With respect to “spot networks” (generally large loads in various downtown areas statewide), the Renewable Energy Trust has worked to implement the recommendations of the DG Collaborative’s 2006 Report to the Department, essentially to research and collaborate on “Relaying and Control Technology Development” with the potential to permit DG to interconnect on spot networks. The work to date, documented on this website, has included:
• Participation in National Standards Process. The Trust has sent an engineering consultant representing the Trust, DOER and other Commonwealth state agencies to each of the eight meetings to date of the IEEE 1547.6 Work Group that is meeting to develop a “Recommended Practice” for network interconnection. Meeting summaries are also posted here.
• Collaboration and Technical Development. The Trust organized four multi-state stakeholder conference calls in 2007 and circulated a technical document “NPEG Performance Specification, Version 2.2,” prepared for the Trust by our contractor New Energy Options, Inc. (September 30, 2008). The technical approach described in this specification is not the only one under consideration. This specification document evolved out of the draft of an RFP that was Attachment F to the 2006 Report, as a result of the four collaborative calls.
• Technical Study for Actual Customer. Based on the technical approaches debated to date at meetings of this IEEE Work Group (at which Massachusetts utilities have been represented as well as state agencies), and based on our recent completion of the updated Performance Specification, the Trust has recently initiated a study jointly with one of the Massachusetts electric distribution companies, and in coordination with DOER, to work through the real technical issues for an actual DG project on a particular spot network. The goal of the study is to find the best engineering solution for a safe interconnection. This is expected to result in a more advanced design than the one implemented in 2003 at the Coast Guard’s Williams Building on the Boston network, and would provide important information to continue to move forward with this issue.
There have not been any in-state stakeholder meetings on the topic of network interconnection since the filing of the June 2006 Report to the Department.
Relevant sections of 2005 and 2006 Reports
- June 30, 2006 -- see the RFP in Attachment F to the 2006 Report filed with the Massachusetts DTE (691 KB pdf, 52-page Report only)
- Chapter 2 of 2005 Report (the rest of the 2005 Report is available at www.masstech.org/dg/collab-reports.htm)
- QUESTIONS Raised About Massachusetts DG Collaborative’s “Technical Challenges” Section during a meeting of the CA Rule 21 Technical Workgroup on September 26-27, 2005 in San Diego, CA
Projects are listed below with the most recent first. The following projects have been initiated or installed since the above spreadsheet was last updated in May 2005:
- 1.6 MW CHP System at Landmark Transamerica Pyramid Building in San Francisco
- 2006 -- 1.6 MW CHP System at Equity Office Properties' Building at 717 Fifth Ave., NYC
The following 6 projects are included in the May 2005 spreadsheet above and were reviewed by the DG Collaborative in the preparation of its May 2005 Report (see above):
| Building | City | Network Type | Size [kW] | Generator Type | Prime Mover | Project Description |
| Williams Coast Guard Building (GSA) | Boston | Secondary Spot | 105 | Inverter and Induction |
PV and IC engine |
Phase 1 - 30 kW PV, Oct. '99 Phase 2 - 75 kW Tecogen, Aug '02 |
1. Generation Monitoring May 2003 - March 2005, W.E. Feero, May 2005 |
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| Conde Nast Building (4 Times Square) | New York City | Secondary Spot | 420 | Inverter | PV | Two 200 kW fuel cells, 20 kW PV integrated panels |
| Four Times Square Study | ||||||
| Moscone Convention Center | San Francisco | 4 kV Spot | 675 | Inverter | PV | 2 PV units, 469 & 207 kW, produce a minimum of 825,000 kWh annually |
| Moscone Convention Center Study | ||||||
| 595 Market Street | San Francisco | Secondary Spot | 1030 | Synchronous | IC Engine | three 375 kW and one 280 kW Waukesha natural-gas engine-generator sets (CHP) |
| 595 Market St. Study | ||||||
| One Market Street | San Francisco | Secondary Spot | 1500 | Synchronous | IC Engine | Three 500 kW natural gas-fired generators (CHP) |
| One Market Place Study | ||||||
| Museum of Science and Industry | Chicago | 12.5 kV Spot | 1750 | Synchronous | IC Engine | Cummins genset (QSV91GB) |
| Energetics
2. Project Overview |
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Other Working Groups of the DG Collaborative:
Questions or comments about the Massachusetts DG Collaborative or the Online Resource Center may be directed to the following MTC personnel:
Fran Cummings, Policy Director
Judy Silvia, Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs