Smart Grid Update Newsletter May 2014

May 2014

• May 20 is World Metrology Day
• NIST Seeks Public Comment—by May 30—on Draft Framework 3.0
• May 22 Webinar to Focus on the Role of Testing and Certification in Achieving Smart Grid Interoperability
• Smart Grid Advisory Committee to Meet on June 3-4 at NIST-Gaithersburg
• SmartAmerica Summit Planned for June 11 in Washington, DC
• SGIP Update

May 20 is World Metrology Day

World Metrology Day, celebrated annually by more than 80 countries, honors the signing of the Treaty of the Meter on May 20, 1875. This international treaty established a collaborative global framework for the advancement of measurement science.

For all of us involved in the smart grid industry, the theme of this year's celebration—"Measurements and the Global Energy Challenge"—is especially apt. Here's what two news organizations had to say about the subject this week:

• From an article in Tech Beat, NIST's newsletter: "Standards for the Smart Grid, energy-efficient lighting, photovoltaics, net-zero-energy buildings, and software for 'smart' building are but a few of the many areas where NIST measurement research is having an impact."
• From the press release from the World Metrology Day organization: "Better power quality measurements will help improve the stability of transmission grids, which nowadays must also cope with variable inputs from wind turbines and photovoltaic cells, etc. More complex electrical power metering is needed to ensure the energy we buy, or even perhaps sell, is correct."

Happy World Metrology Day!

NIST Seeks Public Comment—by May 30—on Draft Framework 3.0

An updated roadmap for the smart grid, NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 3.0, is available through May 30 for public comment. The draft Framework 3.0 document—published in April 15's Federal Register—updates and expands earlier Releases 1.0 and 2.0 (January 2010 and February 2012), outlining plans for modernizing and transforming the nation's aging electric power system into an interoperable smart grid.

Important new elements in this revision are an updated reference model of the smart grid, revised guidelines for cybersecurity, advances in testing and certification frameworks, international smart grid activities, and discussion of smart grid research and development needs.

NIST staff hosted a public webinar on May 2 to highlight important elements of the updated framework. A PDF version of the slide presentation is now available online.

A PDF version of the 255-page document (8 MB) is available online at http://www.nist.gov/smartgrid/framework3.cfm. The link also provides instructions for any individual or organization wishing to comment. Comments must be received on or before 5:00 p.m. EDT on May 30, 2014.

NIST will address comments, make appropriate revisions, and publish a final version of Framework 3.0 later this year.

May 22 Webinar to Focus on the Role of Testing and Certification in Achieving Smart Grid Interoperability

The Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) is hosting a public webinar on Thursday, May 22, 1-2 p.m. EDT. This interactive live session—moderated by SGIP's Smart Grid Testing and Certification Committee Chair Dean Prochaska, NIST—will provide insight into the challenges of achieving interoperability and will highlight standards and tools available to help attendees be more sophisticated buyers and users of products that meet the interoperability criteria.

Topics to be discussed include the following:

• A case study of Sacramento Municipal Utility District's (SMUD) early experience with Home Area Network (HAN) device deployments
• The relationships between interoperability, standards, and testing programs
• Interoperability problems and how to use standards and testing to avoid them
• HAN testing challenges for utilities to overcome
• A successful utility HAN testing model

Utilities and manufacturers are invited to have representatives from their organization participate in this webinar. This SGIP webinar is offered at no charge and is open to the public. More details, including registration information, are available on the SGIP website.

Smart Grid Advisory Committee to Meet on June 3-4 at NIST-Gaithersburg

The Smart Grid Advisory Committee will meet in open session on Tuesday, June 3, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EDT, and on Wednesday, June 4, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EDT.

The committee, established as a Federal Advisory Committee, provides input to NIST on smart grid standards, priorities, and gaps, as well as the overall direction, status, and health of the smart grid implementation by the smart grid industry. Background information on the committee is available at http://www.nist.gov/smartgrid/committee.cfm.

Individuals and representatives of organizations who would like to offer comments related to the committee's affairs and/or attend the meeting should consult the Federal Register notice published on Friday, May 16, 2014.

SmartAmerica Summit Planned for June 11 in Washington, DC

The SmartAmerica Challenge is bringing together organizations with Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) technology, programs, and testbeds to demonstrate the potential to improve safety, sustainability, efficiency, mobility, and overall quality of life. Cyber-Physical Systems—what some have called an Internet of Things—involve connecting devices and systems in diverse sectors like transportation, energy, manufacturing, and healthcare in fundamentally new ways. The SmartAmerica Challenge aims to accelerate advances in the field by providing a venue for innovators to present concepts for interconnected CPS technology, programs, and testbeds.

Two Presidential Innovation Fellows hosted by NIST, Geoff Mulligan and Sokwoo Rhee, have been leading the SmartAmerica effort for the past year. The culmination of this program is the SmartAmerica Summit, to be held on June 11, when 24 teams with over 100 organizations will come together at the Washington, DC Convention Center for a demonstration. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., there will be ongoing demonstrations and speakers covering healthcare, smart energy, transportation, and disaster response.

Admission is free, and registration information is available online at www.smartamerica.org.

SGIP Update

• SGIP announced that its 2014 Annual Conference and Fall Members Meeting will be held September 15-18 in Nashville, TN. This event will provide global industry leaders and stakeholders with opportunities to come together and join the discussion on the most relevant smart grid topics in the industry. More details will be soon be available on the SGIP website.
• SGIP and NIST were featured in a recent article in the Washington Post, "Cyber firms look to move the electrical grid."
• SGIP recently held its Spring Members Meeting on May 5-8 in Denver, CO. The agenda and attendees list are posted online. Session archives are also available (SGIP member login required.)
• The Winter Members Meeting is scheduled for December 8-9 in Portland, OR, immediately preceding the GridWise Architecture Council's (GWAC) Second International Conference and Workshop on Transactive Energy.