Observing that “[t]he electrical system in Ontario is going through a profound transition,” with, among other things, more than 25,000 homeowners, farmers, schools, and businesses signing on to develop renewable energy projects in less than two years, the Ontario Smart Grid Forum, chaired by the Independent Electricity System Operator, released its second report May 3. The report groups its recommendations under several headings:
Smart Homes
• Smart meters, [now almost completely deployed across the province, and with time-of-use rates following close behind,] are only a first step. The Forum’s Smart Home Roadmap (www.ieso.ca/smarthomeroadmap) shows how in-home technologies could evolve over the next 20 years. In only a few years, smart home technologies will be embedded in many household appliances, allowing consumers to collect real-time information about their energy use and respond to price signals.
• The Forum has called on the Ontario government to conduct annual surveys to gauge consumer interest in smart technologies in the home.
Electric Vehicles
• The provincial government anticipates that one out of every 20 cars in Ontario will in some way be powered by electricity by 2020. … There could be considerable stress on distribution networks if too many car owners charge their vehicles during peak periods. The Ontario Smart Grid Forum recommends that the Ontario Ministry of Transportation track electric vehicle registration, to help local distribution companies identify potential areas where distribution networks may be stressed, so they can plan appropriate upgrades.
Storage
• The Forum recommends that the Ontario Power Authority, the Independent Electricity System Operator, in consultation with industry and the OEB, develop a framework to promote the integration of distributed energy storage where it is cost-effective.
Standards
• The Forum is calling on the industry to follow recommendations on standards forthcoming from the Canadian National Committee of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Various members of the Forum are actively involved in the IEC’s Canadian National Committee through its Task Force on Smart Grid Technology and Standards. By coordinating on standards adoption, Ontario’s utilities and private sector interests will be better positioned to ensure an effective and interoperable smart grid, as well as offer Ontario-made products and services in the international marketplace.
Privacy
• The flow of customer information through the electricity system will increase exponentially with the advent of smart grid technologies. While this information is designed to promote more efficient and cost-effective electricity use, there are risks if this information were used without the consent of the customer. The Forum is recommending to the broader industry that they adopt the “Privacy by Design” principles set out by Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner – which call for privacy principles to be embedded in the core design of all smart grid applications.
• The report also recommends that the Commissioner track all smart-grid related complaints with respect to how utilities and third parties use personal electricity consumption information.
Information Management
• The sheer volume of information flowing from the smart grid will pose a challenge for local utilities. With equipment monitoring system status, power quality and flows, or even temperatures every second of the day, some estimate the amount of data collected by utilities will increase nine-fold. This data holds tremendous value if it is properly analyzed and used for infrastructure planning and system optimization. As a result, the Forum is calling for common standards for information sharing that will enable the secure exchange and processing of data.
Access to Consumer Data
• The Forum is calling for the development of a test bed environment that would allow utilities and third-parties to test new applications against LDC systems to ensure they are interoperable.
The OEB has indicated that it will soon consider the practical issues surrounding the opening up of access to hourly smart metering and real-time data for licensed retailers, who can already access their customers’ total consumption data for billing purposes. The Forum and its corporate partners will explore barriers to facilitating third-party access to electricity consumers and their consumption information and provisions needed to ensure customer privacy.
See the Forum’s vision of the smart home, opposite page.
— Excerpted from “Modernizing Ontario’s Electricity System: Next Steps”