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Common Smart Inverter Profile (CSIP) is a range of communications specifications such as IEEE 2030.5 and IEEE 1547 relating to smart grids [1] within a Flexible AC transmission system (FACTS).
The alternating current of most electrical grid supplies normally require both voltage and current to rise and fall together (in phase). This is only true for purely resistive loads (such as heaters). In some cases motors or other active devices may cause the voltage to precede or lag the current, causing a power fluctuations or failure. In simple small photovoltaic systems the inverter that connects to the grid may simply shut down to protect the system of which it is part.
To compensate this, by not merely keeping the supply but also helping to correct phase and voltage anomalies the Static Volt-Ampere Reactive (VAR) measurement is used to regulate the resultant power output to grid, so that the voltage and current rise and fall together (in phase and helping to maintain the grid voltage stay within tolerable limits)
A static VAR compensator is an electronic device to achieve this within a flexible AC transmission system that incorporates both grid connected photovoltaic systems of small suppliers (such as domestic photovoltaic arrays) and the traditional bulk electricity suppliers using mostly fossil fueled industrial power stations running steam turbine generators, whose rotational mass also provides some volt-ampere stability.Similar regulating devices include static synchronous compensators (STATCOM) and unified power flow controllers (UPFC)
| Feature | Simple | Smart |
|---|---|---|
| grid support | disconnects on grid anomaly | remains on-line and contributes some compensation |
| reactive control | manual | dynamic |
| Monitoring & diagnostic | local | Real-time monitoring integrated with cloud computing remote fault detection as well as local mobile phone or personal computer monitoring controls |
| Standard | variable electronic manufacturers | Grid compatible (such as IEEE 2030.5, IEEE 1547 or similar such as the Australian AS 5385:2023) |
The suppliers of electricity to connect to main electrical grids traditionally dominated by large power-station geerators however, the 2025 Iberian Peninsula blackout highlighted the difficulty of managing a continuous electrical supply from a few major power plants and numerous smaller photovoltaic systems producing low voltage direct current that are connected to the higher voltage mains electricity grid by "smart” electronic power inverters.
The concept of smart grids is predicated on exactly matching supply to demand by either disconnecting surplus suppliers or directing excess capacity to recharge storage facilities such as pumping water into hydroelectric dams or recharging Battery energy storage systems
Because the grid operator now has more control over total solar generation, it means small, distributed electricity suppliers can progressively replace large, mostly fossil fueled power plants, thus increasing the overall reliability of renewable energy supply [2]
The Common Smart Inverter Profile Working Group has published a PDF guide to assist manufacturers, Distributed Energy Resources operators, integrators and aggregators to implement the Common Smart Inverter Profile (CSIP) [3]
