A grid simulator does the opposite of what most AC sources are built for: instead of just powering your device, it also has to safely absorb the power that device pushes back into it. That is exactly the situation when you are testing a solar inverter, an EV charger, or a battery energy storage system, all of which are designed to inject power into the grid, not just draw it.
Why Standard AC Sources Are Not Enough
A conventional programmable AC source can simulate grid voltage and frequency conditions for a device that only consumes power. Once the device under test is a grid-tied inverter that pushes power back out, a non-regenerative source either cannot accept that power at all or has to dissipate it as heat, which limits both the power level and the duration you can test at. A «regenerative» grid simulator is built to absorb that returning power and recycle it, rather than fight against it.
Chroma's Regenerative Grid Simulator Series
The Chroma 61800 series is built for exactly this role, with the 61800-100 configuration rated at 105 kVA and both single-phase and three-phase output selectable on the same unit. That power level and phase flexibility is what makes it possible to test a real grid-scale inverter or a multi-kilowatt EV charger under realistic, programmable grid conditions instead of a simplified bench approximation.
What You Can Actually Test With It
- Grid code compliance, verifying that an inverter rides through or disconnects correctly during voltage and frequency excursions, as required before grid connection approval in most markets.
- Anti-islanding and fault ride-through behavior, deliberately programming grid disturbances that would be difficult or unsafe to reproduce on a live grid connection.
- EV charger and battery storage validation, where the device under test both draws from and pushes power back to the simulated grid depending on operating mode.
Sizing a Grid Simulator Correctly
The two numbers that matter most are the power rating relative to your largest device under test, and whether you need single-phase, three-phase, or both on the same instrument, since retrofitting phase flexibility after the fact is not realistic with this class of equipment. Regenerative capability also affects your facility's power budget in a good way: energy recycled back through the simulator is energy your lab is not paying to dissipate as heat.
ALLdata supports test programs for renewable energy, EV charging and energy storage manufacturers evaluating grid-tied equipment. See the Power Equipment collection or request a quote with your device's power rating and phase requirements, and our team will help confirm the right configuration.