
Syndem said it completed field tests of 20 grid-forming inverters in Lubbock, Texas.
The 20 inverters were connected together to form a microgrid. Fifteen of the inverters were connected to solar panels (13 were solar only) in the field and seven were connected to batteries (5 were battery only). Two were connected to both solar PV and batteries.
The inverters have black-start capabilities, can synchronize with each other, connect together to form a grid, regulate the voltage and the frequency, detect the presence of the public grid and, if the grid present, synchronize with it and connect to it. Further, they can detect the loss of the public grid and disconnect from the public grid. These functions can be performed autonomously without relying on communication networks or human intervention.
The completion of the field tests demonstrated the functions of grid-forming technologies and their roles in enabling the energy transition and in advancing energy equity, access, and justice, and in developing a low-carbon economy.
The underlying technology tested was Syndem’s Virtual Synchronous Machines (VSM) technology, which makes power electronic converters in distributed energy resources behave like conventional synchronous machines, according to the company.
Syndem’s Founder and CEO, Dr. Qing-Chang Zhong, has been pioneering the development of Virtual Synchronous Machines for over 20 years and the completion of these field tests are an important milestone on the way to commercializing the technologies, the company added.
The field test is part of a project funded by the Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office Fiscal Year 2019 Funding Program (SETO FY2019), which aims to advance early-stage solar technologies that will lower electricity costs, boost U.S. solar manufacturing, reduce red tape associated with installing solar energy systems, and make solar systems more resilient to cyberattack.