Massachusetts Technical Standards Review Group

This page provides information on the Massachusetts Technical Standards Review Group (TSRG).

Introduction

The TSRG was assembled through an agreement among the DG Working Group members. Details about this agreement can be found on page 30 of the Proposed Changes to the Uniform Standards for Interconnecting Distributed Generation in Massachusetts, the final report of the Distributed Generation Working Group (September 14, 2012). The MA-TSRG Final By-Laws are available here. (as of 11/7/23)

Membership

Utility Membership

• Chair: Mike Porcaro, National Grid / [e-mail]
• John Bonazoli, Unitil / [e-mail]
• Shakir Iqbal, Eversource East / [e-mail]

Non-Utility Membership

• Vice-Chair: Solar Rep: Mrinmayee Kale, New Leaf Energy Solar / [e-mail]
• Vice-Chair: Tony Morreale, LIG Consultants / [e-mail]
• Gov/Cust Rep: Brian Lydic, Regulatory Engineer, IREC

Ex Officio Membership

• Brian Ritzinger, Lead Engineer, Massachusetts DPU

Common Technical Guideline

The Common Technical Guideline highlights commonalities and differences in the interconnection practices and requirements of the four investor-owned utilities in MA. The document should serve as reference material for interconnecting customers served by the IOUs in the state.

TSRG Common Guideline 2022-12-22

Previous Versions:

2022 Common Technical Standards Manual (posted 6/15/2022)

2019 Common Technical Standards Manual (posted 11/8/19)

2017 Common Technical Standards Manual (posted 12/5/17)

2016 Common Technical Standards Manual (posted 8/1/16)

Common Technical Guideline Matrix (July 2015)

MTSRG-Common Guideline 2013

2013 Guideline Quick-Reference Matrix

Reference Documents

Below are links to additional technical documentation that have emerged from various TSRG efforts and discussions. They are provided here for ease of reference.

• Inverter Source Requirements Document
• PSCAD Checklist
  • PSCAD Checklist Instructions
  • PSCAD Checklist Table

Upcoming Meetings

• Meeting #42: June 20, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
  • Click here to register

2023

• Meeting #41: March 18, 2024 at 1PM-4P
  • Agenda (Posted on 2/29/24 at 5:43 p.m.)
  • TSRG Quarterly Meeting Slides
  • TSRG Quarterly Meeting Notes
  • Fermata Waiver Request
    • October 20, 2024 Fermata Letter
    • Fermata Slides
  • Click here to register
• Meeting #40: December 7, 2023  1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
  • Agenda (Updated on 12/6/23 at 11:42a.m., Posted on 11/21/23 at 12:04 p.m.)
  • Meeting #40 Minutes
  • ESMP Session Recap & Summary (5 slides)
  • Attachment – Revised TSRG ByLaw (Clean)
  • Quarterly Meeting Slides
  • ESMP Meeting Slides
  • Meeting recording
• Meeting #39:  September 22, 2023 at 9AM-12PM
  • Agenda (Posted on 9/13/23 at 1:33 p.m.)
  • Attachment - TSRG ByLaw DRAFT
  • Quarterly meeting Slides
  • Click here to register
• Meeting #38: June 8, 2023 at 1-4 PM
  • Agenda (Posted on 5/24/23 at 9:36am)
  • Minutes
  • Presentation
  • High Level Presentation
  • Attachment: ESS Slides for TSRG 6.6
  • Attachment: Interconnection Automation Overview - External
• Meeting #37: March 29, 2023 1-4 PM
  • Agenda (posted on 3/13/23)
  • Minutes
  • Quarterly Meeting Slides
  • Simplified Process Proposal
  • Eversource ESS Presentation

2022

• Meeting #36: December 14; 1-4 PM

  • Agenda (posted 12/23/22)

  • Minutes

  • Quarterly Meeting Slides

  • Flexible Connections Presentation

• Meeting #35: September 22; 1-4 PM

  • Agenda (posted 9/21/22)
  • Minutes
  • Quarterly Meeting Slides

• Meeting #34: June 16; 1-4 PM

  • Agenda (posted 6/10/22)
  • Minutes
  • Quarterly Meeting Slides
  • Effective Grounding Presentation

• Meeting #33: March 24; 1-4 PM

  • Agenda (posted 3/21/22)

  • Minutes

  • Quarterly Meeting Slides

  • Draft in Progress: Default New England Bulk System Area Settings Requirement

2021

• Meeting #32: December 1, 2021 (1 - 4 PM)
  • Agenda (with call info; posted 11/30/21)
  • Materials
    • Membership Nominations: Gov/Cust Rep: Brian Lydic, IREC (bio)
    • IEEE 1547 Update
    • Fermata Energy EV Charger
    • Explanation of Studies performed – Noel Augustine, Eversource
    • Conductor rating and ESS schedule explanation, National Grid
    • ESS Ramp Rates
    • Sub Groups
    • Significant vs. Moderate Changes: See Project Change Treatment Guidance (11/10/21) on the NGRID Docs page
• Meeting #31; August 18, 2021 (1 - 4 PM)
  • Minutes (posted 11/30/21)
  • Agenda (with call info; posted 8/12/21)
  • Revised Agenda (posted 8/18/21)
  • Materials
    • Subgroup IEEE 1547-2018 Adoption
      • Default New England Bulk System Area Settings Requirement
    • Survey Results Slides
• Meeting #30 (May 20, 2021; 1 PM - 4 PM)
  • Minutes (posted 8/5/21)
  • Agenda
  • MATERIALS
    • IEEE 1547 Subgroup: DRAFT ISO-NE Source Requirement
    • Simplified Screens
      • DER Planning Analysis Screens
      • Proposed Simplified Screens
    • Transient Analysis in DER Studies Slides
• Meeting #29 (February 18, 2021; 1 PM - 4 PM)
  • Minutes (posted 3/10/21)
  • Agenda (with call info; posted 2/17/21)
  • Draft Agenda (posted 2/4/21)
  • MATERIALS
    • IEEE 1547-2018 Sub-Committee (posted 2/18/21)
      • DRAFT ISO-NE Source Requirement Doc for review
      • MA IEEE 1547 Adoption Road Map
      • Background: TSRG IEEE 1547-2018 Sub-Committee, 2020 Meetings Summary (DPU filing: 1/28/21)
    • Electrical Measurements of PV Facility during circuit fault – Paul Krell

2020

• Meeting #28 (December 8, 2020; 1 PM - 4 PM)
  • Minutes (posted 1/21/21)
  • Agenda (posted 12/4/20)
  • Materials
    • University of Delaware EV project
    • National Grid PV facilities Update
• Meeting #27 (October 2, 2020; 1 PM - 4 PM)
  • Minutes (posted 12/2/20)
  • Agenda (posted 9/21/20)
  • EDC recommendations for the Simplified Screening; posted 10/2/20 (pre-mtg)
  • IEEE 1547 Subgroup Update; posted 10/2/20 (post-mtg)
  • IEEE 1547 Subgroup Progress; posted 10/2/20 (post-mtg)
• Meeting #26 (June 24, 2020; 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM)
  • Minutes (posted 7/27/20)
  •  Agenda (posted 6/16/20)
  • National Grid Advanced PV Facilities Update
  • DRAFT of EDC Simplified Screen
• Special Meeting #25 | February 21, 2020 | National Grid, North Andover
  • Materials circulated:
    • Diagram
    • DG tariff screens w/ IREC redline
    • Deliverable Filed with the Department:
  • Joint Filing (February 26, 2020); DPU File Room (Enter "19-55" in the Docket by Number window; see 2/26/20 filings)
• Meeting #24 | February 11, 2020 | National Grid Worcester Office / 939 Southbridge St. / Worcester
  • Agenda
  • DPU 19-55
  • Storage: Decision Tree
  • High Volume Queues: Staff Straw Proposal

2019

• Meeting #23 (Rescheduled at DPU request - formerly Oct 3) November 8, 2019 | National Grid Worcester Office / 939 Southbridge St. / Worcester
  • Minutes (posted 2/12/20)
  • Final Agenda (posted 11/7/19)
  • DRAFT AGENDA (posted 11/6/19)
  • Draft Agenda (posted 10/24/19)
  • MATERIALS
    • National Grid PV facilities Update (Samer Arafa - National Grid)
    • SMART: Three Metering Exceptions (Vishal Ahirrao - National Grid)
      • Link to SMART Exception document
      • Link to MA System Data Portal
    • Voltage Flicker Slides (Shay Banton - Borrego Solar)
      • Sandia Risk of Islanding References:
      • Unintentional Islanding Detection Performance with Mixed DER Types (see "SAND2018-8431")
      • "Evaluation of multi-Inverter Anti-Islanding with Grid Support and Ride Through and Investigation of Island Detection Alternatives" (SANDIA)
    • 2019 Common Technical Standards Manual- now addressing storage (Word; posted 11/8/19)
• Meeting #22 (June 13, 2019; 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM)
  • Minutes (posted 10/11/19)
  • Draft Agenda (posted 6/5/19)
  • National Grid Advanced PV Facilities
• Meeting #21 (March 21, 2019; 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM) Unitil / 357 Electric Ave., Lunenburg, MA
  • TSRG Meeting 21 - Minutes (posted 5/15/19)
  • Agenda (posted 3/5/19; revised 3/19/19)
  • SMART Metering
    • SMART Metering / UNITIL
    • SMART Metering / National Grid
  • Pre-Application Reports
    • NREL Presentation: "Evaluating Pre-Application Reports" Zachary Peterson (NREL)
  • Evaluating the Role of Pre-Application Reports in Improving Distributed Generation Interconnection Processes
    (pdf)(NREL; December 14, 2018)
  • Hosting Capacity
    • National Grid Demonstration: Rhode Island System Data Portal
    • Hosting Capacity Maps / EVERSOURCE

2018

• Meeting #20 (December 13, 2018; 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM)
  • Columbia Gas / 4 Technology Drive / Westborough, MA 01581
  • Call-in:[phone], ID 6157675

• • FINAL Agenda Revised with corrected call-in (posted 12/13/18)
  • Final Agenda (posted 12/7/18)
  • Draft Agenda (posted 12/4/18)
  • Draft Minutes (posted 2/11/19)
• Meeting #19 (September 13, 2018; 8:30 AM - 1:00 PM)
  • Columbia Gas / 4 Technology Drive / Westborough, MA 01581
  • Revised Final Agenda (posted 9/13/18)
  • Final Agenda (posted 9/11/18)
  • Draft Agenda (posted 8/31/18)
  • Minutes (posted 12/4/18)
  • Materials:
    • Solar Program Update (National Grid)
    • TSRG Meeting 19 Attachment - Storage: Capacity and Limited Export (IREC)
    • Storage SubCommittee Update
    • IEEE 1547 Update (IEEE: Dave Narang)
• Meeting #18 (June 21, 2018; 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM)
  • Columbia Gas / 4 Technology Drive / Westborough, MA 01581
  • Final Agenda (posted 6/19/18)
  • Draft Agenda (posted 6/5/18)
  • Minutes (posted 8/31/18)
• Meeting #17 (March 29, 2018; 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM)
  • Columbia Gas / 4 Technology Drive / Westborough, MA 01581
  • Minutes (posted 5/9/18)
  • Attendance
  • Agenda (posted 3/27/18)
• Special Meeting: January 19, 2018; 1-4 PM
  • ISO-NE Inverter Ride-through Requirements
  • Minutes
  • Post-Meeting Materials
    • Alan McBride / ISO-NE Cover Memo Announcing its "Source Requirement Document" (FINAL) (posted 2/9/18)

    • ISO-NE Source Requirement Document (FINAL) (posted 2/9/18)

    • ISO-NE suggested supplemental material: See "Interim Solution" at slide 23 (posted 2/14/18)
    • Post-Meeting Materials (posted 1/26/18)
      • ISO-NE Email Announcing "Source Requirement Document"
      • ISO-NE Source Requirement Document (1/25/18)
    • Post-Meeting Materials (posted 1/22/18)
      • MA TSRG ISO-NE Ride Through Call Minutes (DRAFT)
      • "Agreed upon settings, capabilities, operational modes" (DRAFT)
    • Pre-Meeting Material
      • ISO-NE DER Ride-Through Proposal (shared by ISO-NE 1/18/18)
      • Industry Counter-Proposal with ISO-NE response

2017

• Meeting #16 (November 28, 2017; 8:00 AM)
  • Minutes
  • Revised Agenda (posted 11/22/17)
  • Materials:
    • Detailed Study Template
    • Borrego on Initial Review Process
    • Draft ES Interconnection Considerations
    • National Grid Solar Phase II
• Meeting #15 (August 29, 2017; 8:00 AM)
  • National Grid – Worcester 939 Southbridge St. / Worcester, MA 01610
  • Agenda (posted 8/17/17)
  • Minutes (posted 11/6/17)
• Meeting #14 (May 16, 2017; 8:00 AM)
  • National Grid – Worcester 939 Southbridge St. / Worcester, MA 01610
  • Draft Agenda (posted 5/15/17)
  • Minutes (posted 5/30/17)
  • Materials Shared:
    • Stiffness Factor Test (Keith Jones / Eversource)
    • Implementation of Revised IEEE Standard 1547 (Dave Forrest / ISO-NE)
    • Smart Inverter Technology Project Update (Samer Arafa / National Grid)
• Meeting #13 (February 24, 2017; 8:00 AM)
  • TSRG Meeting 13 - Agenda (posted 2/21/17)
  • TSRG Meeting 13 - Minutes (posted 3/15/17)
  • Materials Shared:
    • Eversource DG Standardization Effort
    • National Grid - Solar Phase II

 

2016

• Meeting #12 (December 2, 2016)
  • Agenda (posted 11/15/16)
  • Minutes (posted 1/3/17)
  • Group Guidelines (posted 1/3/17)
  • Materials Under Review:
    • National Grid's New Unintentional Islanding Protection Practice
    • New York JU's Supplemental Unintentional Islanding
    • MA-TSRG Final By-Laws
• Meeting #11 (September 7, 2016)
  • Agenda (posted 8/31/16)
  • Minutes (posted 9/23/16)
  • Materials Under Review: MA-TSRG Final By-Laws
• Meeting #10 (July 27, 2016)
  • Agenda
  • Minutes (posted 8/17/16)
  • 2016 Common Technical Standards Manual (FINAL)
• Meeting #9 (March 17, 2016)
  • Agenda
  • Common Guidelines
  • Materials:
    • Minutes
    • IREC Storage Presentation
    • National Grid Owned Solar Presentation

2015

• Meeting #8 (December 3, 2015)
  • Agenda (posted 11/19/15)
  • Minutes (draft posted 12/19/15)
  • Summary of Completed and Ongoing Action of the TSRG
• Meeting #7 (September 23, 2015)
  • Agenda (posted (9/2/15)
  • Minutes (draft posted 10/5/15)
  • Materials:
    • Eversource Technical Specifications for DG Interconnection
    • NREL: Inverter Load Rejection Over-Voltage Testing
    • NREL GFO Report
• Meeting #6 (July 8, 2015)
  • TSRG Meeting 6 - Agenda
  • TSRG Meeting 6 - Minutes
  • Follow-up Materials: Common Technical Guideline Matrix
• Meeting #5 (April 1, 2015)
  • Minutes (posted 4/27/15)
  • Agenda (posted 3/25/15)
  • Unitil Presentation on DG Saturation and Lunenberg
  • Hosting Capacity reading material provided by DOER: EPRI's publicly available Study entitled, "The Integrated Grid: A Cost-Benefit Framework" describes least-cost methods for determining PV Hosting Capacity with existing Impact Studies and System Planning activities.

2014

• Meeting #4 (September 17, 2014)
  • Agenda (revised 9/2/14): DPU/South Station
  • Materials:
    • Minutes
    • DPU Order 11-75-F (see pp. 12-14)
    • National Grid Presentation: Company Owned Solar - Phase II
    • NSTAR Responses to Agenda Items covered during their absence
• Meeting #3 (April 16, 2014)
  • TSRG Meeting 3 - Agenda (4/16/14)
  • TSRG Meeting 3 - Minutes
  • ISO-NE Presentation: Impact of Distributed Energy Resource Interconnections on Transmission in New England
• Special Meeting (January 29, 2014)
  • Agenda (1/29/14)
  • Minutes

2013

• Special Meeting (December 2, 2013)
  • Agenda (updated 11/15/13)
• Meeting #2 (September 16, 2013)
  • TSRG Meeting 2 - Agenda
  • TSRG Meeting 2 - Minutes
  • TSRG Guidelines (FINAL)
  • TSRG Guidelines (DRAFT)
• Meeting #1 (March 6, 2013)
  • Agenda
  • Meeting #1 Draft Minutes
  • Meeting #1 Final Minutes