SMART CHARGE: NIST drafted the first list of standards for smart grid technology with a focus on ensuring cybersecurity.
Image: FLICKR/IAN MUTTOO
-
The Best Science Writing Online 2012
Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way...
Read More »
The Commerce Department unveiled the first 77 "smart grid" standards today aimed at removing a major barrier to the implementation of digital grid technologies.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology draft report highlights 31 standards with "relevance" to smart-grid development and another 46 standards as "potentially" applicable to the smart grid.
"Central to this report is cybersecurity," Secretary Gary Locke said at the GridWeek conference in Washington, D.C. "We need to do it right, but we cannot take forever because everything else depends on the foundation of our cybersecurity efforts."
While NIST has held three workshops that drew more than 1,500 participants to work on the initial standards, the agency will also collect comments for 30 days on the draft report. After that, NIST will release the final standards report, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will decide which standards will be authorized, as mandated by the 2007 energy bill.
NIST plans to release the final "phase 1.0" report by the end of the year, the Commerce Department said.
"We are moving aggressively," Locke said. "We will not let up. We will make the smart grid a reality in America."
The report also identifies 70 "gaps" that must be addressed in the standards and 14 "priority action" plans that "most urgently" need support -- including standards for smart meter upgradeability, price and product definitions, energy-use information, guidelines for wireless communications, and electric storage and vehicle interoperability standards.
NIST and stakeholders have already finished one "priority action" standard. The first official standard on smart meter upgradeability was also announced today by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, an association of electrical and medical imaging equipment manufacturers. NIST and other stakeholders identified the need for "guidance" for utilities planning to invest in smart meters for pilot projects and demonstration projects before the standards were completed. The report said utilities are projected to ultimately invest $40 billion to $50 billion in smart meters and globally install 100 million new smart grids in five years.
Many utilities have already included smart-meter pilot projects and technology in applications funded by $4 billion from the stimulus law. The Energy Department's initial request for proposals for the grants has already been "dramatically oversubscribed," according to DOE.
"Phase 2" of the smart grid process includes the creation of a "Smart Grid Interoperability Panel" to continue the standards process, and "phase 3" will develop and implement a framework for testing and certification. NIST plans to take steps toward implementation in 2010, the report says.
"While standards are necessary for achieving interoperability, they are not sufficient," the report says. "A testing and certification regime is essential."
See what we're tweeting about
7 Comments
Add CommentStandards are great! That's why we have so many. :-(
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWell, I don't see the problem in the same light. Standards are essential whether we like it or not. This is not the same world of the 20th Century.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWithout standards there can be no accountability. It's just a fact of life.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisReal time monitoring and reaction, anticipation & isolation are the objective pillars of smart grids.No matter how sophisticated the technology is , there is always an human touch to it. Still in this case the human touch is confined to reactive activities thats an advantage.Hence with the standardization part confines to above three pillars, and to enervate the in-compliance standards has to be made.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt depends not only how stringent are the standards, also how
meticulous are the down-right implementations.Working out on standards is one part and implementing them another.
At this point "standards" are more like "ideals" and more often then not fail to be implemented because of budget restrictions or because they're impractical in certain regions of the country. Since cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and Atlanta are pushing their respective grids to the limits with varying degrees of failure action should be taken immediately to relieve stress in the way of OFF GRID BATTERY operated devices (which is bad for the environment but is necessary), wind, sun and gas generators. The private business sector should and is spear heading the transition. Why should these private sector organizations, built on super high competitive standards because of laws already in place, wait for the government for direction?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe US electric power system is one of the most complicated systems in operation. It affects almost every person in the United States.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisStandards are the FIRST step to make sure that the implementation of the smart grid has been thoroughly reviewed for reliable and secure operation. The failure of proper standardization could result in power outages, safety issues, privacy issues, and damage to equipment that may take months or years to replace.
Bottom Line: No Smart Grid or computer component can change, reduce or eliminate the fact that the physical components of the physical Grid are almost 100 years old and getting older every day ... the technology to transport electricity and convert it (AC/DC) is over 50 years old ... transporting and converting electricity results in a loss of 30%+ of the electricity we produce ... corporate entities are NOT doing ANYTHING to improve energy usage of their products - vampire power is the perfect example of this as well as combustion engine automobiles ... Standards, laws, acts and other such stuff won't fix our issues and will only increase costs across the board - remember the Trenton Pickle Ordinance to understand how & why ... Instead of more laws/regulations or fines and surcharges we need incentives like tax breaks and refunds for those entities (corporate & individual) that reduce their energy use, then dump all the money saved into R&D for how to get a vehicle to travel and be lubed for 500 miles on one pint of oil and recapturing the energy lost in transmission, etc. Past and current actions of our government may lead us to believe that money grows on trees, but it in fact does NOT, because of this we cannot as a nation afford to do anything that will cost more money than it will return.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this