Grid-Interop Will Set the Future of Smart Grid Interoperability

On November 7, thought leaders from the electric power, industrial systems, commercial buildings, and home automation will descend on the Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico to address the effective interoperation of the growing number of automation systems throughout our electric system. The Grid-Interop Forum assembles these experts and others involved in energy policy and business development who recognize the need to leverage the enormous potential of information technology to ensure a safe, effective, self-sustaining, and highly interactive electric supply system.

Two years ago the GridWise Architecture Council sought broad consensus in creating the Interoperability Constitution, a set of fundamental principles for interaction needed to realize a next generation electric system, a system that fully integrates electricity consumer resources with intelligent generation and delivery services. Since that time, Smart Grid notions have developed great attention (thanks to this newsletter and others), working its way into the popular press, legislative policy, and our professional societies and trade organizations. This event is part of the Architecture Council’s latest initiative, which is to create a framework for advancing interoperability. 

The Council proposes a context-setting framework to organize concepts and terminology so that interoperability issues can be identified and debated, improvements to address issues articulated, and actions prioritized and coordinated across the electric power community.

The meeting starts on the afternoon of Wednesday, November 7, with a series of sessions that set the foundation for the importance of interoperability in the electric grid and discusses audience opinion on the topic. Thursday begins with a keynote session and panel of distinguished experts representing a microcosm of the broad industry segments within the audience. This is followed by three tracks of panel sessions covering architectural, business, and technical topics. A distinguishing feature of the meeting is a set of action roundtables. These sessions bring together “birds of a feather” for advancing interoperability between the electric grid and factories, buildings, residences, and enterprises in general. The objective is to create proposals from interested parties who are willing to devote their energies to improve interoperability in a specific cause. The meeting will close on Friday, November 9, with a luncheon plenary that summarizes the results of meeting.

In all, over 90 speakers will be on hand to express their views, network with fellow attendees, and contribute in the roundtable discussions to enhance interoperation and further the GridWise vision. Members of the GridWise Architecture Council will also be available throughout the meeting to answer questions and discuss involvement in the work of the Council in 2008 and beyond. Please consider your participation in the evolution of this exciting work. See http://www.grid-interop.com/ to register.