Smart Grid Standards
Smart Grid-related standards are shaping the future of the United States’ electric power system.
If the Smart Grid vision is a two-way flow of electricity and information across a fully automated electric power system, the key to successful deployment is grid interoperability. Interoperability refers to the ability of a mechanism (hardware or software) to work with other mechanisms without special effort on the part of the operator. Interoperability is the key to the smart grid, and standards are the key to interoperability.
The development of protocols and standards to increase the flexibility of Smart Grid equipment and systems was required by Title XIII of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (PDF 1.3 MB). Download Adobe Reader. According to Section 1305 of the act, this interoperability framework “shall be flexible, uniform, and technology neutral” and “align policy, business, and technology approaches in a manner that would enable all electric resources, including demand-side resources, to contribute to an efficient, reliable electricity network.” It calls on the National Institute of Standards and Technology to take a leadership role in coordinating the “development of a framework that includes protocols and model standards for information management to achieve interoperability of smart grid devices and systems.”
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