Editorial: Smart solar photovoltaic inverters with grid-supportive services

This Research Topic on Smart Solar Photovoltaic Inverters with Grid-Supportive Services includes eight articles. In bulk power systems, synchronous generators (SGs) regulate the grid frequency and voltages. The per-unit kinetic energy (defined as inertia) of SGs plays a vital role in the regulation of frequency. Driven by the desire for clean electricity, modern grids are undergoing an energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources. However, renewable energy sources require power electronics, e.g., PV inverters, to feed into the grid. Therefore, inverters need to gradually replace SGs. However, unlike SGs, PV inverters only track maximum power points and feature no massive rotational parts and no inertia. In consequence, the phase-out of fossil fuels inevitably poses challenges in the form of inertia shortages and grid formation. The remaining SGs are vulnerable to frequency disturbances, leading to cascading failures and/or even blackouts. Increasing spinning generation reserve suffers from high operating costs and low efficiency. Existing grid-tied inverters possess the potential for grid support and challenge mitigation. On top of typical SG functionalities, stand-alone ESSs benefit from control flexibility, thereby having the potential for power quality conditioning (such as reactive power compensation and harmonic filtering), meaning they provide add-on benefits.