Implementing Interoperable Smart Grid Solutions

The GridWise® Architecture Council (GWAC) envisions a United States smart grid electric system as a collaborative network of intelligent systems and devices exchanging information and offering abundant opportunities for products and market development. This electric system spans central and distributed generation, transmission and distribution, customer interfaces and appliances, plus the information systems that help manage this equipment. The GridWise vision weaves together the most productive elements of our traditional infrastructure with new technologies that integrate easily and safely into a cohesive system. Using advanced telecommunications and information technology, we can create a "society" of devices that functions as an integrated, transactive system, while achieving ease of use by all customers.

Attaining this vision requires coordination among heterogeneous infrastructures supporting automated systems that will advance support for electric power and economic processes. An interoperability framework and roadmap have been developed to address the interface issues of transforming the existing situation to smart grid enabling solutions while encouraging competition and innovation. In addition, work is underway in various committees and Domain Expert Working Groups (DEWG) of the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) supported by National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST). A number of Priority Action Plans (PAP) have been developed as well to specify requirements for standards.

This fifth annual Grid-Interop Forum builds on the success of the past four events (see the event proceedings for 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010) by helping to enhance interoperability activities in pursuit of the smart grid. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 directed NIST to coordinate the development of a framework to achieve interoperability of smart grid devices and systems. This legislation heightened the need for stakeholders to address interoperability issues. At the 2010 Grid-Interop forum, NIST held organizational sessions for the SGIP and some PAPs in order to accelerate implementation of the roadmap for creating such an interoperability framework. Since then, NIST has been coordinating with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure full engagement in the interoperability efforts.

Abstracts should address ideas and proposals to advance interoperability of the smart grid and to implement the NIST Interoperability Roadmap. Grid-Interop offers the opportunity to discuss new and innovative ways for improving smart grid interactions, and the opportunity to participate in actions that shape the future of interoperability.

In addition to system integration technologists and architects, Grid-Interop will include business developers and policy-makers. It will also address organizational, informational, and technical challenges that we face today. The perspective for discussion is described in the GWAC Interoperability Context-setting Framework document at:

www.gridwiseac.org/about/publications.aspx

We are particularly interested in discussing the potential application of the interoperability frameworks developed for and applied to other sectors (telecom, industrial automation, etc) to the electric grid, lessons learned, and so forth.

Abstract submissions should address how we can close the “distance to integrate” as we migrate existing systems and integrate new solutions. Interoperability topics include:

• Present work underway to standardize or facilitate interoperation between automation systems.
• Describe a challenge that faces the improvement of interoperability. Propose actions to confront the challenge
• Describe challenges in achieving security and interoperability. Propose approaches to meeting such challenges
• Describe a gap that significantly hinders system integration. Propose actions to fill the gap
• Present case studies of implementation approaches that advance interoperability.
• Describe existing or propose future steps to test and validate interoperability.
• Propose metrics for measuring progress that advances interoperability.