Implementing 61850 7-420 to Enable PV Inverter Interoperability

Interoperability is the ability of two or more intelligent electronic devices (IEDs)--from the same vendor or from different vendors--to exchange information and to use that information for the correct execution of specified functions [1]. Device interoperability prevents additional spending on data concentration or protocol translation. Interoperability is essential for enabling communication between different assets in the power system at a reasonable cost. The interoperability requirement in IEDs started as a standard requirement for substation automation and is now a requirement for most standard equipment used in the power system space. Multiple protocols are available in the industry to enable interoperability in photovoltaic (PV) inverters, including International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61850 [2], Distributed Network Protocol 3 (DNP3) [3], SunSpec Modbus [4], and OpenFMB [5].