Erich Gunther

Experience Overview

EnerNex Corporation

Chairman, Chief Technology Officer, Co-founder

§         Working with the California Energy Commission (CEC) and Southern California Edison (SCE) on the development of a widely deployed advanced metering and demand response infrastructure in California.

§         Recognized at the 2007 DOE GridWeek conference by receiving the GridWeek Smart Grid Award for “Smart Grid Implementation and Deployment Leadership.”

§         Author of the CEC’s reference design for advanced metering and demand responsive architecture, and the CEC report providing a step-by-step process for regulators and others to evaluate AMI system proposals.

§         Chairing a CEC working group to develop a reference design for California’s demand responsive, programmable communicating thermostat which will be mandated for new construction starting in 2008.

§          Appointed to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) GridWise Architecture Council

§         Founder of the OpenAMI and UtilityAMI working groups and the current chairman of the latter and its Home Area Networking task force.

§         Leading an EnerNex Corporation team to develop requirements and architecture for SCE’s and Consumers Energy’s AMI projects and developing security policy and architecture for SDG&E’s AMI.

§         Lead consultant implementing IntelliGrid (a public-private partnership dedicated to bringing the U.S. energy system into the 21st century) demonstration projects, providing coordination between IntelliGrid and other organizations, and implementing general IntelliGrid technology transfer activities.

§         Working with the Tennessee Valley Authority on developing security policy and architectural guidance for their PowerWAN SCADA network infrastructure.

§         TXU’s third party AMI data access interface.

§         Involved in the identification and deployment of innovative communication technologies to provide pervasive connectivity to power system components. Pervasive connectivity is a precursor to deploying the IntelliGrid, GridWise, CEC, and other reference architectures for a modernized power grid.

§         Completed wireless communication technology assessments for Alliant Energy, Southern California Edison, the DOE Modern Grid Initiative, EPRI’s Advanced Distribution Automation program, and other clients.

§         Played a key role in the development and implementation of the Power Quality Data Interchange Format (IEEE 1159.3) and the Utility Communication Architecture (now IEC 61850) and was a key team member for the EPRI IntelliGrid Architecture development project.

§         Served as principal investigator for a U.S. Department of Homeland Security Small Business Innovative Research Phase I project examining the use of securable communication standards and protocols to secure electric power SCADA systems against cyber attack.

§         Actively involved in various working groups and committees including serving as the chairman of the P1159.3 task force on power quality data interchange, vice chair of the harmonics working group, vice chair of the PSRC H8 working group, vice chair of the SCC-22 power quality standards coordinating committee and chairman of the interharmonic task force.

 

Electrotek Concepts

Vice President of Technology and Information Systems Development

§         Responsible for the development of hardware, software and systems technologies for use in products, research and engineering studies.

§         Involved in the transient and harmonic measurement, simulation and analysis of power systems for industrial, commercial, utility and research organization clients

§         Participated in a U.S. Department of Energy/New York State Energy Research and Development Authority sponsored project demonstrating the aggregation of a number of commercial loads, using backup generators (existing DG units), to curtail load.

§         Participated in a project to develop software and information systems for the real-time pricing program at Niagara Mohawk.

§         He was the principal investigator for a monitoring system to be deployed at the TVA Regenesys 100 MW chemical battery storage system.

§         Deployed monitoring and communications systems at various wind farms as a part of research projects for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Energy Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). These systems use the Utility Communications Architecture (UCA - now standardized as IEC 61850) for their communications.

§         Principal engineer for the design and implementation of a new power quality monitoring system for the Tennessee Valley Authority. The system, for which Erich was the chief architect, was a commercial success and is presently marketed by Dranetz/BMI under the Signature System brand name.

§         Principal investigator for a DOE project grant initiated in 1995 to research ways to utilize the National Information Infrastructure (the Internet) in the electric power utility industry. This project ("A Practical and Cost Effective Demonstration of Efficient Energy Usage and Quality Management Using the National Information Infrastructure") developed the basic principles used in the industry today for web based electric power measurement information systems.

§         Responsible for the design and implementation of a power quality monitoring system for the Electric Power Research Institute.

§         Involved in the design and specification of the hardware manufactured and marketed as PQNodes by Dranetz/BMI.

§         Designed the software which accompanies the PQNode (PASS) that enables the user to setup and obtain reports from the instrument.

 

McGraw-Edison Power Systems’ Systems Engineering Group

Director, Software Development Engineering and Research

§         Primary development efforts included the Power Verdict Software Series and various programs to assist McGraw's technical marketing efforts.

§         Principal author of McGraw's V‑HARM Harmonic Analysis Program, V‑NET Network Fault Program, and V‑FLOW Power Flow Program.

§         Contributing author to the remainder of the series which include the V‑PRO Protective Device Coordination Program, the V‑BASE Power Systems Database Program and the V‑FAULT Radial Fault Program.

§         Performed analytical studies for utilities and consultants.

§         Primary study areas were transient and harmonic analysis using both the Transient Network Analyzer (TNA) and digital computer programs.

§         Erich is an expert in the use of the Electromagnetic Transients Program (EMTP), the primary software tool used for transient analysis world wide.

§         Developed the hardware, software, and procedures necessary to automate and efficiently perform power system measurements. Extensive harmonic measurements were performed for San Diego Gas & Electric and Consolidated Edison utilizing these techniques. Transient measurements were performed for utility and industrial clients where various switching events resulted in equipment failure.

§         Served as instructor for McGraw‑Edison's harmonic seminar and contributed to its continuing development.

§         Recognized as an expert in the harmonic analysis field and author of several technical papers.

Education

B.S.E.E., Gannon University, Erie, Pennsylvania, 1976‑1980, 1982

M.S.E.E., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy New York, 1983‑1984

Standards Activities

§         Chairman of the UtilityAMI advisory group on advanced metering infrastructure

§         Chairman of the OpenHAN task force on utility applications of home area networks

§         Chairman of the CEC Title 24 PCT Technical Working Group

§         Chairman of the C4.1.06 Cigré working group on measurement compliance

§         Chairman of the IEEE interharmonics task force

§         Chairman of the IEEE 1159.3 task force on power quality data interchange

§         Vice Chairman of IEEE SCC-22 PQ standards coordinating committee

§         Vice Chairman of the IEEE harmonics working group

§         Vice Chairman of IEEE PSRC H8 Working Group

§         Member of IEEE PSRC H5c Working Group

§         Member of IEEE 519 revision task force

§         Member of IEEE 1159 working group on power quality monitoring

§         Member of IEEE 1250 working group on voltage quality

§         Member of IEEE 1453 task force on light flicker

§         Member of IEEE 1459 working group on measurements in non-sinusoidal conditions

§         Member of IEEE 1547.3 working group on DER communication

§         Member of IEC TC 57 WG 10 PQTF on power quality communications models

§         Member of IEC TC 57 WG 15 on secure IED communications

§         Member of IEC TC 57 WG 17 on DER communication

§         Member of IEC TC 77A US advisory group and WG 9 (PQ monitoring)

§         Member of IEC TC 88 WG 21 on power quality for wind power

§         Member of IEC TC 88 WG 25 on wind power industry communications

§         Member of the technical organizing committee for the 2003 IEEE-Cigré Symposium on Quality and Security of Electric Power Delivery Systems held in Montréal Canada

Certifications

Registered professional engineer in Tennessee

Patents

US Patent #5,408,523 - “Electronic remote data recorder with facsimile output for utility AC power systems”