IEC to Develop Initiative to Support Smart Grid Standards

June 18, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS

IEC convened specialists on aspects of smart grid technology at a May workshop in Paris. The specialists discussed developing a roadmap to ensure interoperability of smart grid systems.

The meeting included specialists in electrical generation, distribution, transmission, consumption and measurement, and representing Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, the U.K. and the U.S.

Interoperability is a challenge to integrate large numbers of complex technology "bricks" across the board, according to the IEC.

As part of the initial framework for smart grid, the specialists designated 19 technical committees whose existing standards play a role in the smart grid structure.

With help from the smart grid specialists, the IEC is developing a web portal allowing those involved in smart grid projects with access to a first release of the "IEC Smart Grid Framework" offering standards and guidance. The framework will include a database of IEC smart grid related standards that can be used for future projects and guidance on how best to make use of them, said IEC experts.

The importance of technical standards in deploying the smart grids was also underlined by the U.S. Department of Energy, which recently issued its list of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-recognized interoperability standards including IEC 60870-6, IEC 61850, IEC 61968, IEC 61970 and IEC 62351 parts 1-8 dealing with information security for power system control operations.

The IEC specialists group will next develop guidance for the different technical sectors to help bring together a set of harmonized standards supporting the smart grid requirements.

Source: International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).