Keeping the Lights On: Strategies for Compatibility and Interoperability in Electrical Power Networks

Dates and Times:
October 27, 2011
8:00 a.m Registration
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Location:

Washington Laboratories Ltd.
7560 Lindbergh Drive,
Gaithersburg MD 20879
301-216-1500  

Course Description:

As technology advances into electrical generation and distribution, it promises to transform this industry the way the Internet transformed business, life and society in general. The connectedness from utility plant to the consumer and back to the utility will have a profound effect on managing electrical distribution and consumption. The new landscape, commonly called Smart Grid, integrating a broad source of electrical power with an increasingly complex load profile, will require robust communications connectivity as well as survivability.

This program will examine current and future strategies, standards and practices to maintain power connection from the generator to transmission to distribution and to the meter. Specific topics include:

     • Smart Grid interoperability developments
     • Review the major standards organizations working on Smart Grid
     • Implementation of wireless technologies for communications
     • Strategies for maintaining operation throughout disruptive events
     • Industry standards-setting developments as well as testing and regulatory structures

The government’s roles in developing robust networks will be reviewed, with particular emphasis on the role of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the process, planning and implementation of inter-operability and compatibility requirements. Existing regulations and testing regimens will also be reviewed, including compatibility and regulatory requirements developed by the Electric Power Research Institute, the Federal Communications Commission, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Department of Energy. Program presenters will survey the efforts and players involved in the development of robust, survivable and inter-operable networks, devices and communications protocols needed to develop the schema, architecture and devices for the next-generation electrical power grid.


A Rich Technical Program featuring prominent speakers from NIST, ACIL, Industry and Utilities.

Speakers:

Accelerating Smart Grid Standards Development:
Dr. David Wollman, Leader, Smart Grid Team – Standards, NIST

Smart Grid Interoperability Panel and Testing and Certification Committee:
Donald N. Heirman, NCE, President, Don HEIRMAN Consultants

Electricity and the Environment:
Roger Heasley, Director, External Affairs - Potomac Edison/FirstEnergy

Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility:
Dr. William Healy, Group Leader, Energy and Environment Division, Engineering Laboratory, NIST

Survivability of Complex Networks:
Dr. Ira Kohlberg, President, Kohlberg Associates, Inc.

Energy Efficiency Law in the United States:
John A. Hodges, Partner, Wiley Rein LLP

Application of Smart Grid Technologies:
Dr. David Yaney, CTO and VP of Advanced Engineering, Current Group LLC

EMC Qualification Testing – Nuclear Power Plant Application:
Steven G. Ferguson, Executive Vice President, Washington Laboratories

Agenda:

Welcome and Overview
Michael Violette, Washington Laboratories

Accelerating Smart Grid Standards Development
Dr. David Wollman, Leader, Smart Grid Team – Standards, NIST

By incorporating communications, distributed computing, and new measurement capabilities, the new Smart Grid will improve the reliability and efficiency of the nation's electric power grid while enabling integration of distributed renewable energy sources and electric transportation and reducing energy usage in buildings and industrial facilities through intelligence and automation. Key challenges include the need to accelerate the development of interoperability and security standards and distributed measurements to support management and control of the grid. This talk will outline some of these challenges and overview the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) multidisciplinary Smart Grid Program to provide national coordination of Smart Grid interoperability documentary standards efforts and conformity assessment efforts within the private sector.

Smart Grid Interoperability Panel and Testing and Certification Committee
Donald N. Heirman, NCE, President, Don HEIRMAN Consultants

The Smart Grid is a concept of overlaying two way communication and power delivery using the embedded power grid in the United States. NIST has overall management of the work and uses a public-government cooperation to implement the concept. This cooperation is via a Smart Grid Interoperability Panel. The panel is comprised of hundreds of organizations including the American Council of Independent Laboratories. One of the SGIP committees is the SG Testing and Certification Committee (SGTCC).

The presentation will introduce the activity of the SGIP and in particular the SGTCC which is responsible for support of those organizations that will follow the requirements of the program which is included in the Interoperability Process Reference Manual (IPRM). These organizations that follow the IPRM are called the Interoperability Testing and Certification Authority (ITCA).

Electricity and the Environment:
Roger Heasley, Director, External Affairs - Potomac Edison/FirstEnergy

Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility
Dr. William Healy, Group Leader, Energy and Environment Division, Engineering Laboratory, NIST

A net-zero energy building generates the same amount of energy from renewable sources as it uses over a one-year period. The Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility being constructed at NIST will test and measure state-of-the-art residential-building components and technologies and develop ways to measure energy flows in a residence. Designed to achieve U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Platinum Rating, it will include state-of-the-art solar panels and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems; a smart grid meter; energy-efficient lighting; and advanced ventilation systems. The facility will integrate these technologies into an operating residence and provide a laboratory where real data on performance can be gathered.

Survivability of Complex Networks
Dr. Ira Kohlberg, President, Kohlberg Associates, Inc

It is predicted that in this century the industrialized community will be subject to electromagnetic threats from High Power Microwave (HPM) weapons and/or the High Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP). The recently concluded Congressionally Mandated EMP Commission (EMPC) study showed that these threats could produce large scale cascading failures with long term serious health and economic consequences. New EMC techniques and technology, and network approaches are required to meet these challenges. Dr. Kohlberg will render an integrated analytical review of the basic issues.

Energy Efficiency Law in the United States
John A. Hodges, Partner, Wiley Rein LLP

John Hodges will provide an overview of the law of energy efficiency in the United States. Federal law provides for establishment of test procedures, labeling, efficiency standards, enforcement, and preemption of state requirements. Conformity assessment plays a central role in the program. There has been a recent dramatic increase in program activity, and this will further increase in the future.

Application of Smart Grid Technologies
Dr. David Yaney, CTO and VP of Advanced Engineering, Current Group LLC

The talk will be an overview of the SmartGrid technologies of most interest to electric utilities today and a few specific case studies for work currently ongoing in Europe, Australia and the US.

EMC Qualification Testing – Nuclear Power Plant Application
Steven G. Ferguson, Executive Vice President, Washington Laboratories, Ltd

Steve Ferguson will present an overview of EMC product qualification testing for nuclear power plant applications. Nuclear Regulatory Commission RG1-180 R1 and the Electrical Power Research Institute TR-102323 R3 provide guidelines for qualifying your product. The guides provide for selecting test standards and some optional testing. Mr. Ferguson will review the various tests and discuss test selection and the minor difference in the guides.

Fee/Registrationan:

October 27, 2011
7560 Lindbergh Drive,
Gaithersburg MD 20879
301-216-1500  

Fee

Single Student: $45

Complimentary registration for students and government: FREE
Use discount code: GOV

Class fee includes continental-style breakfast, lunch and afternoon break.