Flex Power Grid Laboratory

Innovative testing and model validation of DER equipment

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The Flex Power Grid Lab (FPG Lab) in Arnhem is an independent, medium-voltage laboratory equipped for testing and researching innovative control and (grid-connected) power electronics under complex realistic conditions. The FPG Lab is capable of supplying industrial medium-voltages (400 V – 24 kV) at a continuous high-power rating (1 MVA), in combination with complex realistic ‘bad grid’ conditions, including pre-programmable distortion (harmonics or dynamic network phenomena up to 2.4 kHz). This facility is one of the few capable of ascertaining whether distributed energy resource (DER) units function correctly under realistic system conditions. It verifies the hardware (power components) and the controls (ICT) simultaneously to validate that a DER unit is ready to be integrated into a larger system (e.g., the energy grid). The FPG Lab is the only facility able to test such combinations at medium-voltage and high-power levels.

Objectives
The FPG Lab already enables clients to realistically test:
> Whether their distributed generation equipment will interfere with grid performance
> (Distributed generation) equipment under severe future grid conditions to ensure efficiency and proper functionality
> Whether the grid will operate reliably and stably under extreme circumstances (high penetration of certified DGs)
> The ability of filters and conditioners to compensate for inconsistencies and protect loads
> Possible abnormal equipment responses to simulated grid events.

Benefits
> Ensures the effectiveness of new controls and operating guidelines prior to full-scale deployment, avoiding lost man-hours and negative returns on capital expenditure, thus preventing losses that could potentially increase to thousands of euros
> Drastically shortens DG integration time and facilitates market introduction by testing for compliance with standards such as IEEE 1547 and IEC 50160
> Reduces field-testing time dramatically when integrating any type of new control
> Prevents field installation surprises, preventing unplanned outages, lost production income, lost man-hours and negative publicity
> Provides insight into the impact of high (certified) DG penetration levels on the grid and allows stability to be verified
> Ensures compliance of filters and conditioners with site specifications
> Enables observation of equipment behavior under abnormal grid conditions

DNV KEMA uses the facility to research and develop innovative solutions for future grid applications, such as smart grids.

Project coordinator
> DNV KEMA, the Netherlands

Project partners
> Energieonderzoek Centrum Nederland, the Netherlands
> Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands
> Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands