GridSweep: An Early Report on Active Measurements of Electric Distribution Grids

This paper presents a novel concept: active measurements of electric power distribution grids, proposed as a new method for studying subtle dynamics such as oscillations associated with inverter-based resources. We introduce the new GridSweep instrument, with a focus on hardware design and techniques for making very precise voltage measurements. Examples of early field measurements illustrate the ability to recover a small probing signal in situ from a standard 120-volt outlet.