SESA, LUMA clash over smart inverter settings process
The Puerto Rico Solar Energy and Storage Association (SESA) and LUMA Energy are at odds over how to establish new technical standards for smart inverters, which help stabilize voltage across the island’s electric grid.
On Aug. 20, LUMA filed a motion before the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau requesting approval of its revised inverter settings.
The company said updates are urgently needed to address widespread voltage violations caused by rapid growth in distributed energy resources, with installations up 16% in six months to more than 165,000 systems.
In one saturated area, “58% (550 out of 955) of the circuit sections experienced some type of voltage violation without the proposed settings enabled,” LUMA stated, adding that simulations show the new parameters could reduce that number to 10%.
The utility argued that adopting the changes “will help protect and maintain the stability of Puerto Rico’s electric grid, potentially avoiding costly feeder and substation upgrades.”
The filing noted that the revisions followed months of discussion, including three Smart Inverter Working Group meetings and multiple public comment rounds.
“LUMA considered the input obtained from stakeholders… while ensuring values are within industry standards and best practices,” the motion said, urging the energy bureau to approve the settings “without delay.”
SESA blasts LUMA’s ‘unilateral move’
SESA countered with a public statement denouncing the petition as a unilateral move.
According to the group, LUMA submitted the June 20 proposal to regulators without consulting SESA or the broader solar industry, despite the bureau’s directive to develop parameters collaboratively.
“What’s needed is not bureaucracy or unilateral proposals: what’s needed is diplomacy,” said Javier Rúa-Jovet, SESA’s public policy director. He said more than 10 requests for dialogue since June have gone unanswered.
“All that’s needed is for LUMA to call us to sit down and work together on a proposal for the Energy Bureau’s evaluation,” he added.
SESA explained that when voltage exceeds set limits, solar systems shut down, preventing customers from exporting power to the grid and receiving net metering credits.
Coordinated inverter adjustments could keep systems online and help restore voltage to safe levels, a solution the group said would benefit all users.
The group pointed to Hawaii’s experience, where utilities, the solar sector and labs cooperated to expand inverter parameters and reduce unnecessary disconnections.
“What we propose is the responsible path: direct dialogue between LUMA and the solar industry to develop a coordinated proposal that results in proven and efficient solutions,” Rúa-Jovet said.
