GridSim Lab Dynamic Power Testing
Our state-of-the-art GridSim Power Lab offers flexible and dynamic AC and DC voltages at multi-megawatt power levels.
Our Global Team
United States
Don Etheridge
T&D Business Development Director, United StatesOur Global Team
Canada
Ken D'Silva
T&D Senior Business Development Director, CanadaOur Global Team
United Kingdom
Anuj Nayyar
T&D Business Development Director, United KingdomOur Global Team
International
Shahrokh Zangeneh
Senior Vice President Sales, InternationalDynamic High Power Testing Solutions Overview
The energy transmission landscape is changing, and with distributed energy resources (DER) coming on-line, often as inverter-based resources (IBR) these changes to local and bulk power systems can pose significant challenges. There is an urgent need for DER players worldwide to ensure that the equipment being introduced to the grid will meet the interoperability needs of the future. The critical need to maintain grid stability, ensure power quality, enable sector coupling, deal with aging assets, and reduce costs is more important than ever. This is especially true due to the intrinsically variable nature of many DER resources. This variability is slowly but surely being compensated for by robust battery energy storage solutions (BESS). With our vast experience, we can help support both the standards as well as major manufacturers and utilities.
Our GridSim Power Laboratory is a state-of-the-art, independent facility developed to provide services for safety, reliability, and interoperability testing and certification. The lab has been specifically designed for the certification and type-testing of distributed energy resources, including battery energy storage systems and traction power systems and a wide variety of equipment at full rated power.
This newly built facility can test inverters, power converters, generators, traction power systems, and other equipment over a wide range of voltages and frequencies, and at power levels up to 12 MVA. It can perform testing to various standards, including UL 1741, including SA and SB, IEEE 1547.1-2020 UL 9540, CSA C22.2 No. 107.1, IEC 62109, IEEE 1653 and many more. This capability suits the interests of manufacturers, developers and utilities to research, develop, test, and certify new technologies. All of this supports safe renewable power integration with the grid as well as enabling electrification of mass transit systems worldwide.
Our lab can perform interoperability testing per Section 6 of IEEE 1547.1-2020 to various protocols, including SunSpec Modbus and IEEE 2030.5.
The lab is funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Energy’s Smart Grid Fund and by Alstom.
Why Us?
-
High Power AC and DC Solution
We are your full-service, independent provider of grid-related testing services. Our GridSim Power Laboratory is a state-of-the-art facility designed to test grid interconnection and interoperability of renewable generation equipment, and medium voltage power systems over a wide range of AC voltages and frequencies as well as DC.
-
Your Partner in Achieving Certification
Our experts have a comprehensive understanding of the complexity and unknowns that come up during testing. If an inverter or medium voltage power system is functioning out of bounds during type testing, our world-renowned expertise will identify, analyze, and help resolve any issues.
-
Accelerate to Market
Inverter and Battery Energy storage system manufacturers can meet modern utility needs and offer compliant grid support to customers by certifying to UL 1741, UL9540 and other similar standards. With a qualified certification in hand, you can accelerate your products to market.
-
Major Project Cost and Time Savings
Pre-certified inverters deliver cost and time savings by eliminating the need to demonstrate on-site grid compliance to IEEE 1547.1. One-time type-testing of inverters will soon replace field commissioning as a way of attaining grid compliance.
Technical Abilities
GridSim Power Laboratory
Our GridSim laboratory is your one-stop, independent provider of grid interoperability and interconnection as well as smart grid related testing services. From flexible power and grid simulation to high current, high voltage, and consultancy services – we can support the scope and scale of almost any renewable power system integration.
Features & Specifications
- Low to high power range (up to 12 MVA)
- 480V up to 34.5 kV
- 45 TO 67 Hz
- 2 independent parallel circuits test bays
- 5 MW, 1500V DC power supply
- Available Load Banks (as needed)
- AC Resistive Load Bank
- DC Resistive Load Bank
- Capacitive Load Bank
- Inductive Load Bank
- Ancillary Services
- Instrumentation
- Data acquisition
- Strong floor
- Craning and rigging equipment
- Onsite technical service & support
- Field engineers (available upon request)
Full Range of Testing for Megawatt Class Equipment
The GridSim lab was built with an extremely flexible approach toward footprint, voltage, frequency, and power level. We have a significant load bank capacity on site with easy access to rentals as needed. This flexible test-bed approach caters to markets such as Rail Transit Traction Power Testing to IEEE 1653 series of standards and many other applications.
Elimination of On-site Compliance Testing
A pre-certified inverter, compliant to industry standards such as UL 1741 and UL 9540 minimizes the need for field service support by the original equipment manufacturer during on-site commissioning and reduces or eliminates the need for grid compliance testing to IEEE 1547.1.
Vendor-Neutral Research Test Bed
Development of new grid interactive technologies, integration of DG equipment, and development of next-generation grids require test environments where test cases can be simulated to provide valuable data for real-grid scenarios.
A future focus will be on distributed controls which will allow for an infrastructure capable of self-healing and of increased intelligence at the end node. Communication using the IEC 61850 standard and leveraging our state-of-the-art RTDS (Real Time Digital Simulator) will allow for Power Hardware in the Loop (PHIL) studies. This will allow utilities, developers, and original equipment manufacturers to make more informed decisions about their capital investments in the grid of tomorrow.
Our Proven Experience
Quality Assurance & Technical Standards
- CSA C22.2 No. 107.1
- Power conversion equipment
- IEC 62109
- Safety of power converters for use in photovoltaic power systems
- IEEE 1547.1
- IEEE Standard Conformance Test Procedures for Equipment Interconnecting Distributed Energy Resources with Electric Power Systems and Associated Interfaces
- ISO 9001
- Quality Management System
- ISO 17025 (2017)
- Testing & Calibration Laboratories
- UL 1741
- Inverters, Converters, Controllers and Interconnection System Equipment for Use With Distributed Energy Resources
- UL 9540
- Energy Storage Systems and Equipment – Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
Key Clients
Projects
Related Media & News
Keep Exploring
Visit our media center to find news and helpful resources from Kinectrics.
Visit the Media CenterKinectrics Training
To get yourself or your staff up to speed on the latest electricity generation standards, sign up for one of Kinectrics’ training courses.
Train with us
Let's Work Together
Whether it’s about our world-renowned team, our laboratories, or our lifecycle management solutions, we’re happy to answer any questions you might have.