IEEE 1547 is the IEEE Standard for Interconnection and Interoperability of Distributed Energy Resources with Associated Electric Power Systems Interfaces. The current version, IEEE 1547-2018, was published in April 2018 and amended in 2020 (IEEE 1547a-2020). A revision, P1547, is in development.
It sets the technical requirements for connecting distributed energy resources (DER), such as solar inverters, storage and generators, to the distribution grid, and for how they interoperate with it. That covers performance, operation, safety and maintenance of the interconnection, how equipment responds to abnormal grid conditions, power quality, islanding, and the tests used at design, production, installation, commissioning and periodic checks.
How it gets used on a real project
Utility interconnection requirements, inverter settings and commissioning tests for distributed solar and storage commonly point back to 1547. When a utility asks for a specific abnormal performance category or particular voltage and frequency settings, this is the framework those requests come from. Pair it with our SunSpec Alliance entry on inverter communication, and with our guide to the solar interconnection agreement.