September 2009
Security, wireless standards on smart grid roadmap
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) identified the ISA99 Manufacturing and Control Systems Security Standard and ISA100 Wireless Systems for Automation standard for industrial wireless for use in the Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Roadmap for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This recognition is a result of Automation Federation efforts to drive home the message that automation standards and automation professionals are vital to the future of Smart Grid.
In May, InTech published an article (www.isa.org/link/AN_grid_may09) about how NIST was involved in an internet-to-grid (I2G) expert domain working group preparing a report to provide an interoperability assessment and roadmap for the I2G interconnections of the smart grid, eventually rolling into a report from NIST to Congress. The goal was to develop a standards framework that integrates all the generators and all the consumers on the grid of the future.
Under the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, NIST’s main responsibility is to coordinate developing a framework that includes protocols and model standards for information management to achieve interoperability of smart grid devices and systems. As a result, NIST awarded EPRI a contract to engage Smart Grid stakeholders and develop a draft interim standards roadmap. In addition, the Automation Federation took part in a NIST-hosted year-long planning effort to develop the Smart Grid interoperability framework.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the electric grid encompasses local area networks that use distributed energy resources to serve local loads and meet specific application requirements for remote power, village or district power, premium power, and critical loads protection. The Smart Grid refers to the future energy system for integrating electricity from many sources and efficiently delivering it to homes and business using high technology.
Through active engagement in NIST domain expert working group activities, EPRI-led workshops, and other industry planning activities, Automation Federation representatives stressed the importance of the use of recognized standards like ISA99 and ISA100 and the involvement of automation professionals in the successful implementation of smart grid.
EPRI’s definition of smart grid as “a modernization of the electricity delivery system” to monitor, protect, and optimize operations of its interconnected elements, “from the central and distributed generator … to industrial users and building automation systems …,” gives credence to the Automation Federation’s efforts to ensure the use of internationally recognized standards, like those developed by ISA, and automation professionals’ involvement to the success of the smart grid framework.
NIST will review the comments received in this interim report from EPRI, including the comments on the use of these ISA standards. The Automation Federation will continue to engage in the framework development process to ensure inclusion of appropriate standards in the final framework NIST will adopt. Read the report EPRI developed and delivered to NIST at http://www.nist.gov/smartgrid/.
Return to Previous Page
Read questions answered by our experts or join the email list.
