Solar PV Hosting Capacity Map
Distribution Solar PV Hosting Capacity Map*
For users who are familiar with the ArcGIS platform, the links below allow the usage of the hosting capacity maps within your own maps.
Distribution Solar PV Hosting Capacity Map REST URL link*
Distribution Solar PV Hosting Capacity Map REST URL link (Cached)*
Solar PV Hosting Capacity Analysis Methodology and Assumptions
This interactive map illustrates solar PV hosting capacity for Central Hudson Gas & Electric’s distribution circuits. Hosting capacity is an estimate of the amount of DER that may be accommodated without adversely impacting power quality or reliability under current circuit configurations and without requiring infrastructure upgrades. The analyses presented in these displays provide the nodal level hosting capacity for distribution circuits emanating from a substation at 12kV and above. For more information on hosting capacity, please refer to the hosting capacity section within the NY State Joint Utilities’ website at https://jointutilitiesofny.org/.
Please note that these analyses were conducted under current configurations and prior to infrastructure upgrades such as: installing a recloser or remote terminal unit at the Point of Common Coupling, replacing a voltage regulating device or controller to allow for reverse power flow, substation-related upgrades including ground fault (or zero-sequence overvoltage ("3V0")) protection, or other protection-related upgrades.
For the Stage 4.1 displays, each circuit’s nodal level hosting capacity is determined by evaluating impacts of large, centralized solar PV installations (300kW and greater) along the three-phase distribution mainline. These analyses represent the nodal level hosting capacity only, and do not account for all factors that could impact interconnection costs (including substation constraints). The Stage 4.1 hosting capacity maps are displayed at the nodal level, according to the heat mapping breakpoints noted in the map legends. Each node’s heat mapping is a visual representation of the pop-up field “Section Hosting Capacity (MW),” which is the minimum value of the four violation criteria included in the pop-up window: Primary Overvoltage, Primary Voltage Deviation, Regulator Deviation, and Thermal from Generation. Stage 4.1 hosting capacity incorporates the impacts of installed DER into the analysis.
Please note that issues related to circuit protection require further analysis to make a definitive determination of hosting capacity. This data is being provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for the established interconnection application process. Additional displays with tabulated data have been included in the form of data pop-up displays to indicate that the hosting capacity may be lower at any given location. For example, anti-islanding concerns may limit the overall circuit hosting capacity. For this reason, anti-islanding criteria were calculated as part of the analysis, but not included in the heat mapping criteria. This was intended to avoid potentially conveying misleading information about the circuit’s nodal level hosting capacity, as anti-islanding solutions are typically not considered a significant interconnection upgrade cost. The estimated hosting capacity value corresponding to the anti-islanding criteria has been included in the data pop-up displays as a separate item for this reason.
Installed solar PV DER is considered in this stage of the hosting capacity analysis. However, as additional DER systems will continue to be installed after this hosting capacity analysis has been performed and queued DER systems are not considered in the hosting capacity analysis, the data pop-ups are intended to provide additional context to the displays. For these reasons, the installed and queued DER values as well as the DER installed since the last hosting capacity refresh are included in the data pop-ups and will be updated on a monthly basis. The load zone represents the NYISO Load Zone. More information can be found on the Joint Utilities hosting capacity webpage located here: http://jointutilitiesofny.org.
This map does not restrict applications from being submitted for a particular feeder or location, but rather is a tool to inform applicants on the amount of PV a feeder has the potential to host without the need for significant system upgrades at the customer’s cost.
Using the Map
Once in the map, use the address search tool bar in the top left corner to zoom into a specific address. Each distribution circuit is color coded based on its local hosting capacity value. Click on the primary segments displayed to bring up additional information about the circuit including: the circuit’s ID, operating voltage level, number of phases, section hosting capacity, violation criteria (primary overvoltage, primary voltage deviation, regulator deviation, and thermal from generation), anti-islanding limitations, interconnected and proposed DG in queue, NYISO Load Zone, hosting capacity analysis (HCA) refresh date, as well as DG installed since last hosting capacity refresh. Additional information on substation is also provided including: the substation ID, interconnected and proposed DG in queue, prior year substation transformer peak load, transformer thermal capacity, substation backfeed protection status, and the last HCA refresh date. A legend can be found in the top right corner of the map. The pop-up display includes a notes section at the bottom of the circuit data to provide additional information that may be pertinent to interconnection.
The operating voltage may denote voltages below 12kV such as: 2.4kVLine-Gnd, 4.16kVLine-Gnd, 4.8kVdelta, or 7.62kVLine-Gnd. Hosting capacity values however, are only included for the three phase mainline of distribution feeders which emanate from a substation operating at 12kV and above. Voltages below 12 kV classification indicate locations served by one or two phases, or located downstream of a step-down transformer (e.g. transformation from 13.2kV to 4.16kV).
* Hosting capacity is calculated and updated October 1 of each year for all distribution circuits 12kV and above. For circuits where 500kW or greater of DER systems have interconnected since the annual October update, these feeders hosting capacity are refreshed on April 1. Interconnection queue data for interconnected and proposed DG is updated on a monthly basis.