The U.S. Departments of Energy and Commerce (DOE/DOC) have announced the first set of smart grid standards.  With $10 million in funding provided by the stimulus package, this initial set of 16 standards, recognized by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), covers a broad range of smart grid technology including smart meters, security, and distributed power generation.

Standardization is the first challenge that must be met if the Obama administration’s vision of a national smart grid in America is ever to be realized.  Obama wants to roll out smart grid technology that will generate energy savings for consumers and producers and will reduce polluting carbon emissions.  Standards will ensure that a smart grid component will operate as it was designed no matter where it was installed.  Standards guarantee interoperability.

The first set was agreed upon through consensus by participants in the Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Interim Roadmap which was held last month.  The NIST was first charged with responsibility for smart grid standardization under the Bush administration in 2007.  The standards were announced on May 19.

A second workshop was underway this week with the goal of publishing a standards roadmap by September of this year.  “The Smart Grid is an urgent national priority that requires all levels of government as well as industry to cooperate,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “I'm pleased that industry leaders stepped forward today and are working with us to get consensus. We still have much to do, but the ultimate result will be a much more efficient, flexible power grid and the opportunity to dramatically increase our use of renewable energy.”

“President Obama has made a smart electrical grid a key element of his plan to lower energy costs for consumers, achieve energy independence and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. “Today, we took a significant step toward developing the standards necessary to realize the Smart Grid vision.”

Chris Knudsen, director of Pacific Gas and Electric’s Technology Innovation Centre, has been involved in the standards work – specifically within the area of smart meters, automated demand response, and home area networks.  Knudsen says the leadership of the NIST has brought focus and streamlined the process of developing standards.

“They have us all looking at the same picture in a structured governance process,” said Knudsen.  “That's how you accelerate standards.”

Knudsen chairs the Open Smart Grid subcommittee that oversees technical work performed within the Utility Communications Architecture (UCA) group of international users.  The subcommittee included 10 utility members that, in total, represent 27 percent of the U.S. market for meters.

"It's a technically deep and engaged group," Knudsen says. "We are highly involved in the NIST process.  All of this technology, stitched together, will fundamentally change the way utilities operate, deploy and utilize technology.”

Knudsen added that there may eventually be thousands of standards.  He said integrating these would only be the first step – there must also be a compliance program that guarantees the standards are universally adopted.  “Without a defined set of tests, engineers will do things a little differently and you won’t get plug-and-play interoperability,” he explained.

Industry groups are positioning participating companies to have their standards adapted by the NIST.  The HomePlug Powerline Alliance, for one, released a Market Requirements Document (MRD) which describes the requirements for HomePlug Smart Energy products.  The alliance uses power lines as the backbone for smart grid technology.  The group believes their method would be the easiest to adapt.

Pacific Gas & Electric
PO Box 56
Avila Beach, CA 93424-0056
http://www.pge.com

HomePlug Powerline Alliance
5200 SW Macadam Avenue, Suite 470
Portland, Oregon 97239 USA
http://www.homeplug.org
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