With the advancement of global energy transformation, more and more countries have begun to encourage the development of renewable energy and energy storage systems to ease the pressure on power supply and improve energy efficiency. In South Africa, due to power shortages and frequent load-shedding problems, distributed energy solutions such as solar energy storage systems have become the focus of the market. However, in order to ensure that these distributed energy systems can be safely and stably connected to the power grid, South Africa has formulated strict grid connection standards, among which NRS097-2 certification is one of the key requirements.
As an excellent battery energy storage system NRS097-2 manufacturer in the energy storage industry, SCU’s PCS and energy storage system products have obtained a large number of domestic and foreign certifications, including Hong Kong, Thailand, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, South Africa, Australia and other countries.
Below SCU will take you to understand the background, technical requirements and impact of NRS097-2 certification on the South African energy market.
What is battery energy storage NRS097-2 certification?
NRS097-2 is the grid connection technical standard formulated by the South African National Grid for distributed energy resources (DER), applicable to solar, battery energy storage system (BESS) and hybrid energy system. This standard mainly stipulates the technical requirements that need to be met when distributed energy is connected to the grid to ensure the safe and stable operation of the grid, while improving the efficiency of distributed energy use.
NRS097-2 standard is generally applicable to small distributed power generation systems with a power of no more than 100kW, covering photovoltaic and energy storage applications from single-family homes to small and medium-sized commercial facilities.
Why does South Africa need battery energy storage NRS097-2 certification?
South Africa has long faced the problem of insufficient power supply, mainly relying on coal-fired power generation, while the aging grid infrastructure and limited power dispatching capacity have led to frequent power shedding (Load Shedding). In recent years, the South African government has encouraged enterprises and residents to invest in solar power generation and energy storage systems to reduce dependence on traditional power grids and improve the stability of energy supply.
However, if a large number of distributed energy systems are connected to the grid uncontrollably, it may cause voltage and frequency fluctuations and even cause grid instability. Therefore, South Africa has developed the NRS097-2 standard to ensure that all grid-connected energy storage and photovoltaic systems can meet power quality requirements and operate in coordination with the grid.
Main technical requirements for NRS097-2 certification
The NRS097-2 standard mainly involves the following key aspects:
1) Voltage and frequency range
Grid-connected equipment must be able to adapt to the voltage and frequency fluctuations of the South African power grid, and disconnect in time when it exceeds the safety range to ensure that it will not cause instability to the grid.
2) Harmonic and power factor control
Energy storage systems or photovoltaic inverters must meet the limits of harmonic distortion (THD) to avoid causing power quality problems to the grid, and at the same time require the power factor to be within a certain range to ensure the efficiency of energy transmission.
3) Anti-islanding effect protection
When the grid fails or loses power, the grid-connected equipment must automatically detect and disconnect to prevent the island effect and avoid affecting the restoration and maintenance of the grid.
4) Grid connection and anti-reverse flow control
For systems with energy storage, NRS097-2 requires that the energy storage system can effectively manage the flow of electricity and avoid unnecessary reverse transmission of electricity to the public grid, thereby reducing the impact on grid stability.
5) Remote monitoring and control capabilities
Equipment that supports remote monitoring and intelligent scheduling is more in line with the requirements of the NRS097-2 standard, so that grid operators (such as Eskom) can monitor the operation of distributed energy in real time and optimize grid management.
Impact of NRS097-2 certification on the South African market
The implementation of the NRS097-2 standard has a far-reaching impact on the South African renewable energy market, which is mainly reflected in the following aspects:
- Promote the safe grid connection of distributed energy: Through standardized management, improve the safety and reliability of distributed energy systems and ensure that they are efficient and compatible with the existing power grid.
- Promote the development of the solar energy storage market: Ensure that energy storage systems that meet the standards can be smoothly connected to the grid, encourage enterprises and household users to adopt solar energy storage solutions, and improve energy self-sufficiency.
- Improve grid stability and reliability: avoid grid instability caused by uncontrolled distributed generation and improve the overall reliability of the power system.
- Attract international energy storage companies to enter the South African market: Energy storage systems and power conversion system (PCS)certified by NRS097-2 can be legally sold and used in the South African market, promoting the implementation of global advanced energy technologies in South Africa.