First cybersecurity testing recommendations for DER and Inverter Based Resources
Underwriter Laboratories (UL) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will complete an outline of investigation as a precursor to the first cybersecurity certification standard for distributed energy resources (DER) and Inverter Based Resources (IBR).
The investigation will be conducted by UL, which delivers testing, inspection and certification (TIC) alongside the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) NREL.
It will enable a standard that applies to energy storage and generation technologies on the distribution grid. This extends to photovoltaic (PV) inverters, electric vehicle (EV) chargers, wind turbines, fuel cells and other resources essential to advancing grid operations.
These new requirements will prioritise cybersecurity enhancements for power systems dealing with high penetration IBR. This includes those interfacing with bulk power systems for periods of instantaneous high wind, solar and hybrid/storage generation. It will help ensure cybersecurity is designed into new IBR and DER systems.
The investigation follows the publication of Cybersecurity Certification Recommendations for Interconnected Grid Edge Devices and Inverter Based Resources by UL and NREL, which provides recommendations to enable DER and IBR and enhance cybersecurity.
“Currently, there are no cybersecurity certification requirements to which manufacturers and vendors can certify their DER and IBR devices against an established and widely adopted cybersecurity certification programme,” stated Kenneth Boyce, Senior Director for Principal Engineering at UL in a statement.
Have you read:
Networked Energy Services receives METAS data security certification
Boosting data security in the utilities sector: Why energy data is now at work
Cybersecurity – a global issue that needs cross-sector collaboration
“The development of these new cybersecurity certification requirements will provide a single unified approach that can be taken as a reference for performing the testing and certification of DERs before being deployed and while in the field,” added Boyce.
“Drafting comprehensive certification requirements with peer review requires effective leadership and stakeholder participation.”
The DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office will assist UL and NREL to continuously develop requirements and support cybersecurity certification standards.
Danish Saleem, Senior Researcher for energy cyber-physical system security at NREL explained that “a national or international cybersecurity certification standard can aid industry stakeholders to evaluate and validate the cybersecurity posture of their DER or IBR devices before they are connected to the electric grid.”
Saleem also elaborated on how the development of such programmes will introduce robust cybersecurity to the electric grid. It would also simultaneously help ensure DER systems follow the concept of cybersecurity.
“Drafting consensus-based cybersecurity certification standards requires effective leadership and regular participation from stakeholders…By collaborating with UL on this technical report, we have established a valuable working relationship that will strengthen our ability to develop the forthcoming cybersecurity certification standard for DER and IBR devices.”
