MNRE Extends Deadline for Comments on Draft Standards for Utility Grid Inverters till May 7

In continuation of providing time extension for various schemes, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has now extended the deadline for submission of comments and suggestions by the industry stakeholders on the draft standards for utility grid inverters till May 07, 2020.

MNRE has written to all experts and related industry stakeholders informing them of the extension in the deadline for submission of comments and inputs on the draft standard on “Technical requirements for photovoltaic (PV) grid-tie inverters to be connected to the utility grid in India” which was earlier issued on April 21, 2020, with today’s deadline i.e. April 30, 2020, for comments.

The Ministry has cited the reason for the extension that “in view of the requests received from experts and industries, the date for providing comments/ inputs on the said draft document has been extended up to 7th May 2020.”

Earlier, the government had issued draft standards for utility grid inverters with an aim to ensure the quality and reliability of inverters through testing for safety, efficiency, environmental tests and grid inter-connection aspects.

In line with this, relevant IS/IEC standards covering safety, efficiency, environmental and islanding prevention measures tests for utility-interconnected PV inverters have been perused by the government.

Thus, in order to make the process of testing simple and consistent, MNRE decided to take a view from stakeholders to develop an inclusive standard for PV grid-tie inverters for complete performance evaluation for grid-interactive applications for quality and reliability assurance in Indian conditions.

The test conditions for inverters have been specified as an operating voltage range in single phase 240V +10 percent, -15 percent (as per CEA).

Operating frequency range – 50Hz +/- 2 percent (as per CEA), unless otherwise specified, all tests shall be carried out under the nominal input and 5 output power conditions at room ambient between 25°C ± 5°C.

For more information on the draft, standards click here.