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As the solar PV capacity in the U.S. continues to grow and more regions reach high levels of renewable energy penetration, grid congestion is becoming a major concern for large-scale projects. For developers or stakeholders without sufficient experience or who fail to conduct thorough due diligence early on, unexpected interconnection issues—such as power limitations or grid stability challenges—can lead to costly delays and project setbacks.
At Pure Power, we act as both an owner’s engineer and an independent engineer, offering critical support to EPCs and developers by identifying, analyzing, and quantifying the impacts of grid congestion. In this post, I’ll walk through how we help ensure smooth and predictable project development, especially in areas where grid constraints may exist.
**Interconnection Technical Studies**
At the beginning of any large-scale project, developers typically engage with regional grid operators to initiate a site-specific study that assesses the impact of new generation capacity. These studies can reveal necessary upgrades to the grid before interconnection can occur. However, without proper planning, developers may end up selecting a site that proves unsuitable after the study is completed—leading to wasted time and resources.
Interconnection studies generally focus on two key areas:
- **Power capacity limitations**: Existing transmission systems may be at or near full capacity, making it expensive or even impractical to connect new solar assets. Since developers usually bear the cost of these upgrades, understanding capacity limits early is crucial.
- **Grid stability considerations**: Older or overburdened grids may struggle with the variability of renewables like solar and wind, leading to voltage and frequency fluctuations. With proper planning and the use of advanced equipment or on-site storage, these issues can often be mitigated.
To avoid unnecessary costs and delays, it's essential to evaluate grid capacity and interconnection requirements early in the project lifecycle. Without this foresight, project timelines can become compressed, and the findings from interconnection studies may not be effectively integrated into design and budgeting.
**Utility-to-Utility Experience and Perspective**
The level of experience utilities have with renewable integration varies widely across the U.S., which affects their interconnection requirements and processes. In states like California and Florida, utilities are well-versed in handling large-scale solar and wind projects, and they have established procedures to manage interconnection studies. While the process can seem complex, it ultimately encourages developers to perform thorough due diligence, helping to identify and resolve potential issues before they become costly problems.
In contrast, utilities in regions with limited renewable experience may lack clear guidelines or sophisticated study requirements. This doesn’t mean you don’t need them—it just means you must be proactive. Inexperienced utilities may not flag grid constraints until it’s too late, potentially leading to costly mistakes during equipment procurement or design.
**Looking Toward the Future**
As the energy transition accelerates, future-proofing your project portfolio is more important than ever. Developers planning projects over the next 3–5 years are increasingly considering the role of solar PV and on-site energy storage in addressing grid constraints and improving system resilience.
While power electronics can help manage voltage fluctuations, frequency stability remains a challenge that requires energy storage solutions. Even if storage isn't a mandatory requirement today, incorporating it into your projects can make a big difference when dealing with constrained or unstable grids.
Additionally, the scale of projects will matter less in the future as renewable penetration increases. Utilities are already starting to treat small, distributed solar and storage systems as virtual power plants, which means interconnection requirements may soon apply to smaller installations as well.
By staying ahead of these trends and leveraging tools like energy storage, developers can position themselves for long-term success in an evolving energy landscape.