Georgia Power and EPRI to study impact of solar PV installations on utility distribution systems

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

Over the next 18-months Georgia Power and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) will be performing a study that will assess how solar PV power systems affect Georgia Power’s distribution system. Testing will be conducted at fifty PV systems that will be installed in cities around Georgia including: Augusta, Columbus, Conley, Macon, Rome, Savannah and Valdosta. The panels installed will be owned by EPRI and installed by Georgia Power.

The sites were chosen in order to represent different conditions found in the utility’s territory such as temperature, cloud cover and solar intensity. Seven-to-eight small PV systems will be constructed on one distribution line in each city. Each 200W panel installed will be monitored by EPRI, who will record the panels power output and sunlight input at one-second intervals.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

Among helping Georgia Power understand how much electricity is produced by each panel and how well they perform under varying weather conditions, the test also aims to see if the installations affect the utility’s distribution system, will help identify the feasibility of widespread solar PV installations on distribution lines and study  the ranges for PV performance in Georgia.

“An installation of this size will not create a noticeable increase in the amount of energy on our distribution system,” says Scott Gentry, Georgia Power's distributed generation services project manager and coordinator for this project.  “However, the data we collect from each module will provide useful information on PV generation as it relates to the utilities grid.”

Once the 18-month test is complete, all panels will remain in place so that Georgia Power can continue to monitor them for long-term results.

Read Next

July 4, 2025
Chinese PV provider Skycorp Solar Group has announced a solar plant acquisition and development strategy following unanimous board approval.
July 4, 2025
Germany’s latest innovation tender has awarded 488MW of co-located capacity, with all the projects being solar PV tied with energy storage.
July 4, 2025
Risen Energy’s mass-produced heterojunction (HJT) modules have reached a cell conversion efficiency of 26.61%, a record figure for the company.
July 4, 2025
The US House of Representatives has passed the final version of the reconciliation bill that is now going to US President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature before its passing.
July 4, 2025
Australian retailer AGL Energy has confirmed its acquisition of South Australia’s Virtual Power Plant (SAVPP) from Tesla.
July 3, 2025
Renewable energy curtailment in Brazil is set to reach 8% across the country, and be as high as 11% in the north-east, by 2035.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 22, 2025
Bilbao, Spain
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK