Volts How inverters can stabilize a renewables-heavy grid
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Sep 5, 2025 Daniel Duckwitz from SMA Solar Technology, and Katerina Augusto, a renewable energy engineer with Solar Power Europe, dive into the crucial role of inverters in stabilizing modern electricity grids. They discuss the shift from traditional fossil fuels to inverter-based resources like solar and wind. The conversation covers the concept of grid-forming versus grid-following inverters, the advantages of synthetic inertia, and the need for robust policies to support these vital technologies. They also touch on real-world examples of successful grid stabilization efforts.
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Operational And Safety Tradeoffs
- Grid-forming inverters introduce safety and operational concerns because they can keep parts of the network energised during isolation.
- Operators must update procedures and approvals to ensure personnel safety and network control.
Limits Of PV/Wind Alone
- PV and wind without storage struggle to provide active-power inertia because they lack local energy reserves.
- They can still provide fast reactive/voltage support and partial 'inverter-plus' behaviors, with hybrid plants offering the full solution.
Inverters Can Outperform Generators
- Grid-forming controls offer capabilities synchronous machines lack, like programmable damping and sub-second steady-state adjustments.
- Batteries can restore steady-state faster than thermal plants, improving overall system response.