It is difficult to overstate the importance of interoperability. It lies at the heart of complex systems with many components, all of which must work together. The greater the complexity, the greater the importance of interoperability. Need I mention interoperability’s role in forward and backward compatibility? Small wonder it’s critical to the emerging smart grid and the nascent Internet of Things.

That’s the functional, technological side. On the commercialization and market side, of course, interoperability produces economies of scale, spreading benefits and reducing prices. In contrast, custom solutions are expensive fixes without much of a future.

Anyone not directly involved in the heavy lifting needed to achieve interoperability might be lulled into thinking about the topic like that old saw about the weather – everyone’s talking about it, but nobody’s doing anything about it.

Rest assured that the most pressing needs for interoperability are being addressed as you read this article, orchestrated by the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel 2.0, Inc. (SGIP 2.0). Because it is part of SGIP 2.0’s core mission to keep the power industry informed of its progress, and as current board chair of this nonprofit effort, I’d like to provide an update as we begin a new year. Even as we delve into the arcana of smart grid standards in order to achieve interoperability, so we must explain our work in lay terms to our members and the broader power industry to garner support for our shared goals.

First, the latest news
We begin the new year on an optimistic note. SGIP 2.0’s membership in 2013 soared from 88 organizations to well over 200, as the value proposition of participation reached willing ears. We held our inaugural conference and members’ meeting in November 2013 and, in December, we held two insightful webinars, including How SGIP Supports Electric Utilities, Regulators, Manufacturers and Integrators in 2014 to Ensure Electric Grid Reliability, and one by our Smart Grid Testing and Certification Committee on priority testing needs for smart grid interoperability. We all recognize that we must reinvent the grid while we keep the lights on, and SGIP 2.0 is well aware of the industry’s practical need for timely insights.

Our agenda for 2014, which I’ll explain in a moment, reflects an orderly, methodical approach and it’s driven by the power industry itself. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s begin by clarifying the ‘2.0’ and the ‘Inc.’ parts of our identity.

How did we get here?
Seven years ago, federal energy legislation provided the impetus for our current efforts. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 directed the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST), a branch of the Commerce Department, to form the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP). SGIP (1.0, as we think of it) was established in 2009 as a public-private partnership. SGIP was charged with coordinating standards work to ensure interoperability and security as the grid is modernized.

The original SGIP identified 16 foundational standards needed for a smarter grid and more than 90 existing standards that can be leveraged to the same end. As it assessed the gaps that remained, SGIP coordinated the efforts of standards development organizations (SDOs) by determining which is best suited to develop a particular standard. SGIP’s Priority Action Plan (PAP) process has been effective in accelerating the timeframe required for standards development from five years (60 months) down to 18, 12 and even as few as six months.

The strategy all along was to get SGIP up and running, then transfer it to the power industry to do the heavy lifting. Once SGIP developed a strategy and a structure, it transitioned in 2012 to SGIP 2.0, Inc., a member-funded, private sector organization that would move ahead on its predecessor’s original mission. The transition essentially put the power industry in charge of its own destiny.

Looking forward
At this key juncture in its brief history, SGIP 2.0 has become fully operational as a private entity focused on critical power industry issues most relevant to our stakeholders, which include utilities, regulators, equipment vendors, and integrators.

The following issues we’re addressing, to name a few, are familiar to practitioners in grid modernization:

1. Cyber security
2. Integration of renewable energy resources
3. Gaps in standards
4. Harmonization of global standards
5. Supply chain issues (including cyber security-related procurement)
6. Electrical vs. thermal storage
7. Consumer engagement and transactive energy
    

As we accomplish our work, the power industry should see tangible progress in these areas.

To clarify our mission, SGIP 2.0 doesn’t develop standards, but it coordinates standards development by standards development organizations (SDOs). SGIP 2.0 defines requirements for essential communication protocols and other common specifications. And SGIP 2.0 offers stakeholders an open process to observe or participate in our mission.

Our Executive Director Patrick Gannon, hired in 2013, has described our work as providing ‘a framework for orchestrating the work behind grid modernization.’ If you’ve ever watched a conductor leading an orchestra with baton in hand, you’ve noticed the conductor sends signals but emits no actual sounds. You simply hear the result as various sections of the orchestra come to life. That’s a good analogy for how SGIP 2.0 works and how its successes will become manifest as grid modernization progresses. Put another way, SGIP 2.0 is quietly sowing the seeds of value creation. Our work may take place behind the scenes, but the power industry will reap the fruits of our efforts sooner rather than later.

Strategy and execution
A word on strategy should preface our action items. Our strategic values are embodied in four buzz words:

1. Accelerate
2. Facilitate
3. Navigate
4. Communicate
    

SGIP 2.0 is working to accelerate interoperability benefits for grid modernization and, in the process, bring down costs through economies of scale. We are here to facilitate both the educational process for stakeholders and to propel the core, technical activities on which stakeholders must work together on. We are here to help stakeholders navigate their specific roadmaps. We are working to communicate the merits and impacts of interoperability.

Internally, we’ve organized committees and working groups to address pressing issues in power. Our stakeholders have told us they need guidance on implementing cyber security, clear technology use cases, tools and applications for customer interactions and the latest insights on substation automation, distribution system management, energy storage and updates on progress in the priority action plans (PAPs) that address gaps in standards.

The work products we’ve slated for 2014 will answer these myriad needs and take many forms. SGIP 2.0’s output this year will include conceptual models, interoperability roadmaps, smart grid requirements, use cases, white papers and a catalog of (relevant) standards.

SGIP 2.0’s board met in November 2013 and composed the following list of action items. Because our agenda is member-driven, we seek input, participation and support from qualified individuals and organizations as we continue to hone this agenda.

An ambitious agenda
Specific deliverables on SGIP 2.0’s 2014 agenda are too numerous for this modest update. I encourage readers to visit our website for more details. But I’ll group salient items on our 2014 agenda into a handful of flexible categories to make them more accessible than a laundry list.

Case studies document experiences and that provides opportunity for peer-to-peer exchange of lessons learned. Thus we’ll develop:

• A case study and training class in cyber security risk management that will provide a pragmatic approach to a complex, often confusing subject for all stakeholders.
• Interoperability experience case studies that address smart grid functionality, particularly around distributed renewable energy resources, volt/VAR management, dynamic pricing and electric vehicle charging.
   

Use cases offer tangible frameworks upon which individual utilities can build their own business plans and regulators can be educated in how to evaluate those business plans. We’ll be working to:

• Identify and capitalize on opportunities to work with regulators on educational seminars.
• Identify use cases that illustrate the benefits of bi-directional weather data exchanges between utilities; survey current weather-related standards efforts; and harmonize the exchange of weather data among utilities adhering to independent standards.
   

Guides and tools offer stakeholders the means to assess potential applications of technology and evaluate the impact on business processes, among other benefits. So we will:

• Publish white papers on smart grid cloud computing to clarify risks, costs and benefits for utilities; on electrical vs. thermal storage, and on transactive retail energy applications.
• Collaborate with NIST and other federal agencies on a Smart Grid Supply Chain Awareness Guide to highlight risks and inform stakeholders on cyber security procurement concepts.
• Contribute to the creation of a smart grid interactive Interoperability Mapping Tool, which can aid in the development and execution of utility-specific technology road maps.
• Build a directory of all industry test programs relating to smart grid standards, to ensure a common platform for utilities and equipment vendors to evaluate technology offerings.
• Develop an application or best practices guide to test smart grid systems and devices for interference from electromagnetic sources.
   

On the utility customer front, we have a raft of responsibilities, including:

• Improving communications between utilities and residential devices to facilitate demand response programs.
• Adapt home appliances for energy management programs and transactive energy markets.
• Improve data aggregation and privacy, and implement Internet Protocol (IP) for home devices focused on energy management.
   

The foregoing list would be a formidable undertaking for any organization and it is just the start for SGIP 2.0’s work this year. We’ve got the strategy and structure and membership to make it happen. And we can use help. Please access our online Value Proposition to weigh your own participation.

We’re confident that our to-do list for 2014 will provide a more solid foundation for grid modernization by informing and empowering stakeholders with the knowledge and tools they need to fulfill the promise of a smarter grid. Modernizing the generation, transmission and distribution of electrical energy will, in turn, provide the basis for economic vitality around the world. That’s no small task, but with SGIP 2.0’s strategy and structure, we have the means to achieve it.
 

About the author

John D. McDonald is director of technical strategy and policy development at GE Digital Energy. He earned his B.S.E.E. and M.S.E.E. degrees specializing in power engineering at Purdue University and his MBA in finance at the University of California, Berkeley. He is past president of the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES), an IEEE PES distinguished lecturer, board chair of the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative and board chair for the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel 2.0, Inc., among many other affiliations.