An Overview of Smart Grid Standards

Erich W. Gunthererich@enernex.com

February 2009

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Why Use Standards?

• Avoid re-inventing the wheel

• Learn from industry best practices

• Specify requirements more easily

• Reduce integration costs

• Prevent single vendor “lock-in”

• Vendors share a much larger market

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Making Standards Work

Items critical to a successful standard:

• Mature spec• Involved user group• Certification

process• Revision process• Marketing, labeling• Implementations• Tool sets

UtilitiesAnd

Vendors

Users’Groups

StandardsOrganizations

DirectParticipationLessons Learned,

Innovations,Application Notes

Errors DetectedConsensus Acheived

Test Procedures,Implementation

Guidelines

Standards Revised more

Rapidly

Access to WorkingDrafts

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Why International Standards?

• Several Advantages– Time-tested process– Proven fair and open– Can be accelerated if needed

• Other alternatives:– “de Facto” needs a market-maker– Industry consortia can work well

• E.g. ZigBee, HomePlug, Cable Labs

– User groups can create requirements specifications• E.g. OpenHAN, AMI-SEC, AMI-Enterprise

– Work even better if endorsed by a standards org

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Standards in the Smart Grid

• EPRI IntelliGrid Architecture, http://www.intelligrid.info • Catalog of Use Cases, Standards, Technologies

Real-time Simulation Real-time Simulation

Wide-Area ReliabilityWide-Area Reliability

Network OptimizationNetwork Optimization

Customer ParticipationCustomer Participation

Participation in Energy MarketsParticipation in Energy Markets

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Smart Grid Comm Standards Domains

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Enterprise and Control Center

• There is a culture of manual integration• Very labour-intensive and costly• Object models and services defined, but…• A variety of underlying technologies: UML, XML,

OWL, XSD, RDF, OPC• Working on agreement on a design framework

Name / No. Description Status

IEC 60870-6 Inter-Control Center Protocol Widespread

IEC 62325 ebXML for Power Systems In development

IEC 61970 Common Information Model / Generic Interface Definitions (CIM/GID)

In use; mostly single-vendor

IEC 61968 Interfaces for Distribution Management

Mostly still in development

Multispeak NRECA Enterprise web services In use; not flexible

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T&D Wide-Area Networks

• Many of these are considered obsolete or aging in the general IT world

• Still in common use in the power system

Name Notes

Frame Relay Packet-switched, no reliability guarantee

SONET Campus or city backbones

WDM Wavelength Division Multiplexing – follows SONET

Microwave Proprietary, used in geographically difficult areas

Satellite Various proprietary technologies, costly

Trunked Radio Licensed, one broadcast channel, one return

Spread-Spectrum Unlicensed frequencies, more efficient

IP Radio Like trunked radio but with IP addressing

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T&D Substations

• Automation common in transmission• Business case tough in distribution• Well-known problems and solutions• Moving to the next level

Name / No. Description Status

IEC 61850 Object models, self-describing, high-speed relaying, process bus

Widespread in Europe, beginning here

DNP3 Distributed Network Protocol Most popular in NA

Modbus Evolved from process automation Close second

COMTRADE Fault Capture file format Widespread

PQDIF Power Quality file format In use

IEC 62351 Security for power systems Recently released

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Access Wide-Area Networks

• Used to reach the Collector or Substation• Too expensive, too unreliable or too slow for

actual access to home

Name Notes

PSTN Public Switched Telephone Network – dial-up, leased lines

DSL Digital Subscriber Line - Telco IP-based home access

Cable DOCSIS standard for coax IP-based home access

WiMAX WiFi with a backbone, cellular-type coverage

Cellular Various technologies e.g. GSM/GPRS or CDMA/EVDO

FTTH Fiber to the Home. Passive Optical Networks (PONs)

PLC Narrowband Power Line Carrier – the “old stuff”

Access BPL Broadband over power line to the home

Paging Various proprietary systems, POCSAG

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Field Area Networks – Distribution and AMI• Offerings mostly proprietary

– Wireless mesh, licensed or unlicensed– Power line carrier, narrowband or

broadband– New standard activity just started in 2008

• Open standards not useful yet– Cellular, WiMAX, ADSL, Cable, FITL– Not economical or not reliable or both– Mostly only reach the Collector level

• Interop solution: common upper layer– Network layer preferred: IP suite– Most don’t have bandwidth

• Application layer instead: ANSI C12.22– Too flexible, not enough interoperability– Need guidelines, profile from users

• More bandwidth the main solution!

Metering NetworkMetering Network

NetworkA

Metering NetworkMetering Network

NetworkB

A B

BA

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Home Area Networks

• ZigBee and HomePlug alliance– Popular open specifications

• LONWorks, Insteon, Z-Wave, X10 – popular proprietary networks

• Challenges coming in Electric Vehicles

Name Number Notes

Ethernet IEEE 802.3 Substation LANs, usually fiber optic

WiFi IEEE 802.11 Access by field tool, neighborhood AMI net

ZigBee IEEE 802.15.4 Customer premises automation network

HomePlug 1.0, AV, BPL Powerline comms, in and outside premises

6LowPAN IEEE 802.15.4 The “approved” IPv6 wireless interface

OpenHAN HAN SRS v1.04-2008

Power Industry requirements definition!

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Distributed Resources and Commercial

• Rapidly growing, but tend to be “islands of automation”

• Concerns over integration with power utilities

• Need to get people talking

Name / No. Description Status

OPC Application interface Widespread in industry

IEC 61400-25 Wind Power In use; turf war

DRBizNet California initiative In development

BACNet Building automation In use; many profiles

OpenADR Automated Demand Response In development

IEEE 1547 Basic principles of DER In use

IEC 61850-7-420 Information models for DER Just released

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Another Look at Smart Grid Standards

External

HAN

FieldLAN

Enterprise

WAN

Meter / Gateway

Collector

Metering System

Portal

Normal Program

Critical Peak EventEmergency

Stage 1Emergency

Stage 2 Current Temp

$

Status

NORMALPENDING

ACTIVE

OVER

-RIDE!

03/03/2007 8:48am

Program: AWAY

RetailersAggregatorsRegulatorsCustomersProviders

MDMSCIS/BillingOMSWMSEMS/DMS

RoutersTowersGround StationsRepeatersRings

RelaysModemsBridgesAccess PointsInsertion Points

ThermostatsIn-Home DisplaysSmart AppliancesField ToolsPCsBuilding Automation

Internet ProtocolsWorld-Wide WebebXMLIEC 60870-6 ICCP

IEC 61970IEC 61968Web ServicesMultispeakMessage Buses

SONET, WDM, ATMMPLSFrame RelaySatelliteMicrowaveIEC 61850DNP3

WiMAXBPL / PLCWireless MeshADSLCellularCable (DOCSIS)

ZigBeeWiFiLonWorksBACnetHomePlugOpenHAN

Example Members

ExampleTechnologies

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Standards Challenges for Smart Grids

• Need Common Object Models

• Wishy-washy standards

• More bandwidth in the field

• Proprietary field networks

• Too many stds. in the home

• Merging power and industry

• Merging meters and distribution automation

• Holistic securityNormal

ProgramCritical

Peak EventEmergency

Stage 1Emergency

Stage 2 Current Temp

$

Status

NORMALPENDING

ACTIVEOVER

-RIDE!

03/03/2007 8:48am

Program: AWAY

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Summary

We have the technology.

We have the lessons learned.

We just have to apply it!

We have the technology.

We have the lessons learned.

We just have to apply it!

Essential Promising Needed

IP-based networks

IEC 61970 CIM/GID

IEC 61968 Distribution

IEC 61850 Substations

IEC 62351 Security

DNP3

ANSI C12.19, C12.22

AMI-SEC

OpenHAN

WiMAX

ZigBee / HomePlug

OpenADR

6LowPAN

BACNet

OPC/UA

NERC CIPs

Standard Field LANs

Modems for Field LANs

More field bandwidth!

CIM Design Framework

CIM Application Security

CIM/61850 Harmonization

IEC 61850 Outside Sub

ANSI C12 Guidelines

Finish AMI-SEC

Asset Mgmt, DER, PHEV

Address design in breadth and depth

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PSTN

ApplicationPresentation

SessionTransportNetworkData LinkPhysical

HANLANFANSAN

WAN

Web Presentation

CIS

Powerline Data Collection

Wireless Data Collection

Paging Data Collection

Telephone Data Collection

OMSGIS

AMI Management

Usage Data

Private Wireless

Public Wireless

Point-to-Point

Mesh RF

CSR

Third Parties

Customer

Regulator

Retailer

$

Internet

DataExchange

00000

00000

00000

00000

72°

BPL

BPL/PLC

Utility Enterprise Systems

Address design in breadth and depth• A software application is evident to users only at one

level– Must operate transparently to the appropriate depth to interact

with other systems– May be tied to key hardware elements of the system– If tied, must be upgradable and extensible– If hardware is exchanged, must continue transparent operation

(with some configuration)

• At the physical level, not allways possible to have an appropriate connection that facilitates openness and competition (e.g., meter under-glass interface for communications boards; multi-vendor interface inside of relays)

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Recommended focus areas

• Standard field LANs (FANs)– Innovation drived by vendor tension

• More field bandwidth– Eliminate single-purpose networks and facilitate innovation

• CIM design framework– Tighten allowable choices and develop implementation guide

• CIM application security– Guidelines needed for verifiable security

• CIM / IEC 61850 harmonization– Motivate users group to eliminate identified gaps

• IEC 61850 outside of the substation– Incentivize vendors to extend reach of products and systems

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Recommended focus areas, pt. 2

• ANSI C12 guidelines– Demand demonstrations of interoperable products

• Finish AMI-SEC work products– Component catalog and implementation guide

• Asset Management– Incentivize utilities to leverage infrastructure to better manage

business

• Distributed Energy Resources– Re-think and re-design hardware and software to account for

two-way energy flow

• Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles– Need policies, regulations, business model, standards, etc.

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Key Strategies

• Drive stakeholders from standards development to interoperability demonstrations

• Holistic targets eliminate single-purpose design and incompatibilities– Technical, communications, environment, regulation, etc.

• Apply systems engineering and third-party metrics to avoid single-entity rate-or-return projects

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Key recommendations

• DOE GridWise Architecture Interoperability Checklist should be used by policy makers to evaluate utility proposals

• Smart Grid News technology/product/project checklist or equivalent should be used to validate “smartgridness”

• Standards-based solutions should be favored over proprietary solutions via legislation, rules and regulations

• Desired outcomes and important characteristics (e.g., interoperability) should be specified by policy makers rather than specific standards (where possible)

• Research needed to accelerate development and fill the gaps in security, smart grid networks, device management, information privacy and field network interoperability

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