As countries increasingly adopt green policies and place greater emphasis on grid stability, technologies related to renewable energy and energy storage are set to flourish in the next decade. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF)’s latest forecast, global energy storage capacity will reach a peak of 411GW/1,194GWh by the end of 2030, more than 20 times the capacity and power generation recorded at the end of 2020. Energy storage applications mainly include large-scale energy storage systems (ESS) integrated with renewable energy (solar/wind) and small to medium-sized systems for residential, commercial, and industrial use. Among these, the development of ESS for residential and commercial/industrial use is currently the most active. The BNEF forecast states that small to medium-sized energy storage devices will account for one-fourth of the total ESS capacity and are expected to achieve worldwide popularity in the near future.
Solar and wind power generation are both subject to fluctuations due to weather changes, which is why they are often supplemented by battery energy storage systems (BESS) to ensure a well-regulated power supply. The voltage specifications of BESS are developing from voltages lower than 1,000V towards 1,500V and higher, with the rated power increasing up to MW levels. Common applications seen in such high-capacity storage systems used by power companies are Automatic Frequency Control (AFC) and Fast Response Load Shedding Resource (FRR). At the same time, due to high and unstable energy prices, more and more people are becoming interested in installing BESS in their homes. Residential solar PV energy storage systems consist mainly of a combination of solar panels, hybrid PV inverters (power rated at 10kW or below), and energy storage batteries (capacity between 5kWh and 15kWh). These setups play a critical role in energy transition efforts.
▲ Residential and commercial BESS architecture
Chroma Provides Test Solutions for Renewable Energy and Battery Storage Systems
Chroma’s multifunctional software platform enables these devices to be integration into an automated test system. Each solution is described in more detail below.
2 in 1 Regenerative Grid Simulator + Regenerative AC Load: with Energy-Saving and Carbon-Reducing Solution for Hybrid Inverter Testing
The Chroma 61815 Grid Simulator has four-quadrant output capability. It can simulate various voltage and frequency outputs for grid-tied inverters as well as serve as a four-quadrant AC load for testing standalone inverters. Since its launch, the instrument has been adopted by various industry-leading companies in the energy storage industry, which has enabled us to accumulate substantial experience in the testing of hybrid inverters. The Grid Simulator’s highly efficienct energy feedback capability enables it to significantly reduce power consumption when simulating the grid for testing purposes. It also has advanced programmable functions such as List, Pulse, and Step for simulating various kinds of power line disturbance (PLD). In addition, in its optional regenerative AC load mode, the device can feed energy back to the grid to help manufacturers meet their energy-saving and carbon-reduction test requirements. It can also simulate various types of rectified and non-rectified loads with specific load modes such as Rectified, Lead/Lag, and Half-Wave Rectified, supported by the Instant Stand-By safety function. With the Chroma 61815, comprehensive hybrid inverter testing can be achieved with a single device that provides both AC power and AC load testing capabilities, resulting in a highly efficient and cost-effective energy storage test solution.
▲ Chroma 61815 can singlehandedly meet the AC source and AC load test requirements of hybrid inverters
Chroma 61815 Regenerative Grid Simulator
Chroma 61800 3U high series of regenerative grid simulators include three models with power ratings of 9kVA, 12kVA, and 15kVA and include single phase and 3-phase operation. With output voltage ranges up to 350VLN and 606VLL, each model can achieve 700VLN by a single phase 3-wire setup. Users are able to increase output power by configuring up to three units in parallel.
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3-in-1 Bidirectional DC Power Supply + Regenerative Load + PV/Battery Simulator for Comprehensive PV Inverter Testing
The Chroma 62000D series adopts a bidirectional power supply topology. With its high power density of 18kW in a single 3U unit, this series is suitable for testing both home energy storage systems (<10kW) as well as industrial energy storage systems (50~150kW). The 62000D offers a three-in-one package, consisting of a bidirectional DC power supply, a solar array simulator and a regenerative load mode which feeds back energy to the grid, aligning with energy-saving and carbon-reduction trends while catering to all the testing needs of PCS/PV inverter manufacturers. These instruments can be easily combined and paralleled as multiple power sources for flexible deployment in research and development and production test system configurations.
The 62000D’s optional solar array simulator features built-in I-V mathematical models for the European EN50530 and American Sandia standards as well as user-friendly manual and remote control. The instrument can simulate dynamic shadow curves and I-V curve fluctuations based on real-world weather scenarios. This makes it ideal for verifying the performance of PV inverters with battery storage system when calculating battery storage capacity vs. I-V simulations of various local weather conditions.
In addition, the instrument can be operated with the Battery Simulator Soft-Panel software to serve as a battery simulator. It can simulate operation under different state of charge (SOC) conditions or load specific battery characteristic V-I curves, as well as simulate charging/discharging batteries to test and evaluate the power conversion devices used in hybrid inverters and power conversion systems (PCS).
Chroma 62000D Series Bidirectional DC Power Supply
Chroma 62000D programmable bidirectional DC power supplies provide both power source and load characteristics. These two quadrant power supplies allow power from the DUT to be converted back to the utility grid and so are ideal for testing renewable energy power systems such as PV, storage, and EV inverters as well as a wide range of bidirectional power conditioning system (PCS) and may also be used as a battery simulator. 62000D has applications in testing power components in electric vehicles as well as bidirectional on-board chargers (BOBC), bidirectional DC converters, and DC-AC motor drivers and can perform power conversion tests of Li-ion batteries in both charge and discharge directions.
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Chroma 17040/17040E Dual-Mode Battery Tester and Battery Simulator
The Chroma 17040E system is capable of delivering 200kW/1700V per unit and is suitable for testing grid-connected systems (FOM). The 17040 system, with a single device capable of delivering 60kW/1,000V, is suitable for testing applications in residential and commercial (C&I) systems. Both systems feature battery charging/discharging and battery simulation functionality for testing battery racks and related products.
Chroma 17040(E) has an auto voltage/current range switch function that automatically adjusts the range as the current changes dynamically, which together with high-frequency sampling technology ensures highly accurate dynamic measurements and optimized measurement results. The dynamic current/power mode of the waveform simulator has a current rise time of 1ms (10~90%). It simulates the charging/discharging behavior of the power conversion system (PCS) when the energy storage system is in the process of frequency regulation. The tester’s fast current response time enables optimal switching between charging and discharging; the current is smooth and without overshoot, avoiding damage to the battery. The bidirectional circuit architecture achieves high-efficiency energy recovery during discharge, accurate control of the alternating flow of AC current, and compliance with grid requirements without contaminating other grid-tied equipment. In case of grid disturbance, the main circuit power supply will be automatically cut off to protect the safety of the operator and the equipment.
These test systems are supported by Chroma’s proprietary and powerful software platforms. The BatteryPro software enables integration of third-party hardware such as BMS communication devices, data loggers, and temperature chambers. It can then use their data for test process control, detecting the voltage changes of each battery cell in the energy storage cabinet during frequency modulation, and identifying quality defects in the energy storage cabinet. Through the Battery Simulator Soft-Panel software, different battery state of charge (SOC) conditions can be controlled and programmed to perform charge-discharge tests as well as testing and evaluation of inverter/battery combinations.
Chroma 8000 Automated Test System
To build a complete test platform for solar power and energy storage equipment, multiple devices must be successfully integrated. This includes an AC power source and load for simulating the power grid, a power source for simulating the solar panel array, and a battery simulator.
To meet this need, Chroma has recently launched the Chroma 8000 Automated Test System. This solution checks all the boxes by integrating either the Chroma 62000D bidirectional DC power supply or the 17040E battery simulator with the 61800 grid simulator, achieving five equipment functions in one system: a bidirectional DC power source, regenerative load, and PV/battery simulation, plus a grid simulation power source and regenerative AC load. During the test process, the energy output from the DUT is fed back to the power grid, reducing equipment costs and space requirements while furthering energy efficiency and carbon reduction goals.
▲ PV/energy storage inverter test setup with energy recovery system architecture