Industy Insight: Smart Grid Workshop

April 28 – 29 The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) held a workshop in Reston, Va., to explore foundations for a common smart grid interoperability standard. Attended by more than 450 smart grid experts, the workshop sought to draft a roadmap toward establishing a protocol for the transfer of data between different types of smart grid equipment, possibly labeled 'The Smart Grid Information Exchange' protocol.

Smart grid technology would incorporate greater communications and adaptability into the electrical grid – from power generation down to consumers – providing better information about the condition of the grid and improving consumer awareness of energy use. This has the potential to enable greater energy efficiency in electrical grid operations (by reducing line losses) and in end-use consumption (by helping consumers better understand their own consumption, thereby empowering them to reduce it).

The impetus behind this workshop was that smart grid technology implementation requires significant work of the back-end. Discussion group topics ranged from transmission monitoring and consumer-to-grid interaction, to management and policy issues. Groups were tasked with identifying requirements of interoperability standards (including standards for physical equipment and communications software) as well as existing standards that could be implemented or adapted for a smart grid context. Participants were also asked to address gaps in existing standards.

As a basis for the discussions, EPRI drafted an interim roadmap document outlining the smart grid purpose and vision as well as some initial technical issues surrounding it. EPRI will make revisions to this draft based on the workshop discussions and continuing online collaboration. The discussion draft will be further refined at meetings in late May and July, leading to a final report expected in August. NIST will then coordinate adaption of existing standards and creation of new ones to ensure optimal interoperability of smart grid equipment.

In addition to improving the efficiency of the power transmission system, smart grid has the potential to enable greater consumer efficiency if implemented effectively and with end-user efficiency in mind. Not an end in itself for efficiency, smart grid could give consumers greater access to information about their energy use, and allow them to quickly and clearly see the effect of conservation and investments in energy efficiency. The extent to which this occurs depends on the smart grid’s design – particularly on the consumer end – and the Alliance seeks to be involved in the process so as to ensure the greatest potential for energy efficiency. -Tom Simchak