The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1547-2018 standard provides interconnection requirements for smart inverters, which allow the electrical grid to safely accommodate higher levels of renewal energy. Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), a non-profit advocacy group, has released its IEEE 1547-2018 Adoption Tracker Map, which shows where the standard is being used in the U.S. and parts of Canada since it was introduced a few years ago.

The map breaks down adoption by state regulators and utilities. It shows that seven states–Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, and California–have selected an adoption date by which certified inverters are in place for new interconnection applications. Grid operators and utilities in six other states are “ongoing” in their adoption of the IEEE 1547-2018 standard, and they are Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, and New Jersey.

States that are expected to adopt the smart inverter standard but have not yet officially completed the process or provided an adoption date include Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, New York, and Maine. IREC considers the status of the remaining states as “unclear.”

Some independent operators and regional transmission organizations have completed their adoption of the smart inverter standard, including the Alberta System Operator in Canada and PJM Interconnection, which manages parts of the grid in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, and New Jersey.

Smart inverters are important to maintain stability in the grid while adding energy from renewable sources, which can be intermittent. The equipment converts direct current from the renewable sources into alternative current while offering grid support functions such as voltage regulation, frequency support, and voltage ride-through. Grid operators can monitor and manage the performance of smart inverters remotely.

IREC will update the IEEE 1547-2018 Adoption Tracker Map as statuses across states, utilities, and grid operators change.