Parametric Testing of Ride-Through and Volt-Var Capabilities of Residential Scale Solar Inverters

Inverter-based resources (IBRs) play a critical role in maintaining grid stability during perturbations. However, changing the control set points of inverters can sometimes alter their ride-through capabilities, leading to unexpected behaviors. To evaluate these dynamics, hardware-under-test (HUT) inverters with grid support functions (GSFs) and variable set points were tested using a power hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) platform. The testing involved introducing voltage or phase disturbances across single or multiple phases. Results revealed that inverters exhibit distinct behaviors depending on the affected phase(s) of the disturbance. The study underscores the importance of comprehensive testing across different parameters and power levels to ensure reliable grid support and compliance with interconnection standards (IEEE 1547-2018, UL 1741).