Funding Program: SuNLaMP
SunShot Subprogram: Soft Costs
Location: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO
SunShot Award Amount: $1,131,704

This project focuses on problems utilities are solving related to integrating photovoltaics (PV) onto distribution grids. The team provides one-on-one technical assistance to utilities to help address particular areas of concern. In addition, the project team convenes quarterly webinars to discuss important topics of interest to utility stakeholders, and to disseminate information including lessons learned.

Approach

This project team will provide technical assistance to utilities to help them address issues they face integrating PV, such as piloting utility-owned rooftop PV systems with advanced functions, community solar, and advanced inverter protocols and standards. The information gathered from these technical assistance sessions will be turned into informational resources, and distributed via webinars that can help others to integrate more solar energy onto the grid.

Innovation

Because not all grid integration stakeholders are familiar with, or confident about, the details of new proven and emerging strategies, technologies, and tools to solve PV integration problems, they are hesitant to fund the testing, piloting, and evaluation of these solutions. This project will reduce technical barriers by sharing lessons learned and addressing specific challenges utilities are facing in order to accelerate the adoption of PV solutions, which will help to meet the SunShot goals.