The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT) announced on March 26 a collaboration with The University of Texas at Austin to study how inverter-based technologies, such as those used in solar, wind, and battery storage systems, can enhance grid reliability. This partnership is part of ERCOT’s ongoing efforts to use emerging technologies and innovation to meet the state’s growing electric demand.
Inverter-based technologies generate electricity as Direct Current (DC), which must be converted to Alternating Current (AC) before entering the grid. This conversion is managed by an electronic device called an inverter. As these resources become a larger part of the electric grid, ERCOT said understanding their impact is critical for maintaining reliable power for homes and businesses in Texas.
The collaboration falls under ERCOT’s Grid Research, Innovation, and Transformation (GRIT) program. The University of Texas will assist ERCOT in anticipating challenges related to simulation platforms, control interactions, and power quality issues that may arise with high levels of inverter-based resources on the grid.
“Given the complexity and rapid development of this technology, this collaboration will help us look into the future, anticipate challenges, and identify solutions while we still have some time to prepare,” said Prashant Kansal, ERCOT Director of Grid Transformation. “By combining ERCOT’s operational insights and UT’s research expertise, Texans will benefit from a stronger, more reliable grid.”
Under this partnership, researchers at UT will build computer simulations and models connecting inverter-based resources with the electric grid to test reliability across various real-world scenarios. Professor Brian Johnson from UT’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering said: “Inverter-based resources are emerging rapidly and are very promising. However, their controllers introduce new behavior in grids and must be carefully coordinated.” Professor Surya Santoso added: “By studying their behavior under a wide variety of control and operating conditions, reliability, harmonics, and other power-quality-interaction risks can be better understood and managed.”
Fred Huang, ERCOT Senior Director for Grid Stability Analysis said: “The ability to identify potential issues before they arise and develop practical solutions applicable to real-world grid operations helps ERCOT create a more reliable grid to serve Texans and meet the state’s evolving power needs.” More information about GRIT can be found according to the official roster page.