Testing and Certification company UL Solutions has launched a new cybersecurity certification programme for distributed energy resources (DER).
The new programme – dubbed as a first industry-wide cybersecurity baseline by UL Solutions – will also cover inverter-based devices, such as microgrids, rooftop solar, battery storage and electric vehicle infrastructure.
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According to the company, it will help provide a common framework for evaluating and certifying the cyber protection of devices connected to the grid.
The certification programme will also provide manufacturers, utilities, regulators and grid operators with a consensus-based framework for mitigating the risks associated with combining older equipment with modern internet-connected technologies, as the former were not built to meet today’s cybersecurity expectations.
“Our new cybersecurity testing and certification programme brings clarity and common expectations by providing a standards-driven step to reduce cyber risk, which is critical for grid reliability, protecting infrastructure, and growing public confidence in the new technologies that power communities,” said Ken Boyce, vice president at UL Solutions.
“By combining cybersecurity evaluation with safety testing, we help manufacturers embed security from the start and give buyers confidence in distributed energy and inverter-based products.”
Testing for the new cybersecurity certification follows requirements in UL 2941, published in 2023 and which was developed in collaboration with the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), formerly known as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. UL 2941 sets clear cybersecurity requirements for solar PV, wind power and energy storage assets connected to the distribution grid, as well as other inverter-based resources (IBR).
Moreover, the new certification programme is also designed to complement existing safety testing for inverters, converters, controllers and interconnection system equipment for use with DERs as outlined in UL 1741.
“As energy resources integrate with the grid, cybersecurity can no longer be an afterthought and must be built into device design and deployment,” said Danish Saleem, senior researcher in NLR’s Cybersecurity Research Center.
