Frequency of extreme weather events fuels regulatory compliance and digital data management

The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) confirmed that 2023 was a historic year in terms of costly disasters due to extreme weather throughout the United States. Last year, there were 28 confirmed weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each. These events resulted in over 490 deaths and had significant economic effects on the areas impacted.

Discussion around cold weather and hot weather preparedness for power grid security is a trending topic in the media and in public policy and regulation. Federal and state regulatory bodies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), as well as state public utility commissions and regional entities are learning from these events and implementing new regulations for compliance. These changes are evolving rapidly, and more so for the newest power generators – renewables.

It is imperative that owners and operators of renewable assets stay on top of the evolving regulations. Considering that a severe weather event can cause millions of dollars in damage, most owners are already taking action to protect their assets from severe weather events to some degree, but there is always room for improvement.

When it comes to solar

Solar PV facilities are typically found in remote drier regions, and summer weatherization can be equally important for protecting assets as methods for preventing winter damage. In these regions air conditioning is a big draw on the summer power grid, so grid reliability is vital. The biggest risk during summer is wildfires, and the best preventative measure is vegetation management. Each facility should have a robust vegetation program that ensures grass and weeds are kept under control and do not become kindling for fires. Ensuring that renewable assets are available to meet the grid demands is critical to demonstrating that renewable generation can solve long-term demand needs.

As temperatures are on the rise, owners should be working closely with operators and asset managers to identify hot spots on equipment as they have the potential to result in equipment failure. High-voltage and medium voltage infrared scans are a proactive measure to address hot spots. Aside from reducing the risk of an outage or loss of production, correcting hot spots can reduce the risk of fire due to equipment failure. Electrical storms in these regions are also common. Ensuring grounding systems are in place is necessary to protect the facility from strikes and surges.

When it comes to winter, hailstorms typically cause the most damage to solar by cracking or shattering panels. Owners should consider this during the design process and ensure that solar projects have the ability to tilt to as much as 75° to reduce the impact of hail. Knowing the timing and direction of an approaching weather system is key in all these decisions to ensure a facility is best protected against the elements while optimizing power generation pre- and post-event. Renewable management platforms like Radian Digital can feed weather data right into the operational process, so managers can make data-driven decisions at the right time.

Pre-season emergency response plan

Having an operational emergency response plan is part of meeting regulatory requirements and includes weatherization, preparations and inspection for incoming weather events, as well as annual training and record keeping attesting that tasks are completed for inspections. Owners should ensure that O&Ms are prepared to meet the requirements for the region.

Several often-overlooked areas that should be included in the emergency response plan include hurricane preparedness, water shortage, pandemic and epidemic, restoration of service and that all site personnel are familiar with and trained on required protocols. While there is often no specified regulatory oversight when sites are being constructed, it is noteworthy to consider an emergency preparedness plan in place that meets the regulatory requirements.

Different states need to meet local regulatory requirements. For example, Texas facilities are subject to the Public Utility Commission of Texas and must have a program that considers the site’s critical components. Critical components are defined as, “Any component of a resource or transmission facility that is susceptible to fail as a result of a weather emergency, the occurrence of which failure is likely to significantly hinder the ability of the resource or transmission facility to function as intended or, for a resource, is likely to lead to a trip, derate of more than five percent of the capacity represented in the resource’s seasonal net maximum sustainable rating or of the transmission facility’s rating, or failure to start.” This might include the GSU transformers, substation control houses, HVAC systems, etc.

Additional considerations should be ensuring there are adequate supplies for the crew, should they get stranded at a remote site during the weather event. This should include critical items like first aid kits, flashlights and batteries.

PV sites have relatively small onsite staff that sometimes must travel long distances through tough terrain where communications can be poor. Ensuring worker safety needs to be part of the plan. All vehicles should have enough fuel to travel to the documented evacuation routes. Communication protocols need to be clear and should include notification of changes in operational status and onsite staffing updates.

Streamlining coordination and communication

Traditional power generators typically have one operator/owner compliance department, whereas renewable energy providers may have several involved parties, including owners, EPCs and operators. Coordination and communication between these parties are key, especially if you are in the commissioning phase or development. The O&M team is eventually going to be taking on any kind of emergency response or weatherization, but they are unlikely to be around in the development stage, so it’s important to have all the information available in a digital platform where they can see the emergency response plan, site details, inventory and what has been done and where.

Be prepared for inspection

Owners can expect regulators to come on-site for inspection. Some regional regulators are using these visits to learn more about what is applicable to solar or inverter-based resources. On the top of a regulator’s list is to ensure there is a program in place, and that personnel are trained on it. Like any auditor, the objective is to ensure everything is being done correctly with evidence showing that. If there are any deficiencies identified in the plan, expect feedback to revise the plan and bring it up to the best industry standards.

It is crucial that the owners and operators of the site can show a strong record of adherence to plans and regulatory compliance. Having this data on a digital platform is better for tracking and provides quick access to requested information.

Managing compliance

Being prepared for weather events can save renewable energy owners millions of dollars by reducing damage and ensuring that facilities continue to produce expected power and supply the grid, during and after severe weather events. While a lot has been learned from recent storm events, owners are generally taking the lead in protecting their assets and regulators are working alongside to set regulatory requirements based on the most successful strategies.

Keeping informed on the evolving regulatory landscape can be managed in a digital platform providing a process, evidence and an auditable trail. Managers can track maintenance equipment workflow, can see what was done and by whom, as well as comment, review and approve work orders. This trail can feed directly into a compliance console allowing stakeholders to see the status of compliance and confirm the absence of reportable incidents with a few clicks.

Post event analysis

It is important to document lessons learned after a significant weather event has occurred. No event will be the same, so recording as much information as possible and having it digitally accessible will be helpful in better preparing for the next event. As climate shifts, weather events are becoming increasingly intense, making it crucial to practice a collaborative approach in weatherization preparedness.

Loggan Purpura is the Senior Manager of Compliance Standards at Radian Generation and has a deep knowledge of utility-scale solar operations. With a background in operations and maintenance, Generator Owner and Operator compliance for low and medium entities, Loggan plays an integral role in supporting Radian Generations customers.