Ottawa: The Canadian Electricity Association (CEA) released a guideline July 11 for the selection and use of Smart Grid standards. The new guideline is intended to provide a framework for electric utilities and other decision-makers in selecting standards related to modernizing electricity infrastructure. The guideline contains eight fundamental principles and fifteen elective criteria intended to assist manufacturers and users of smart grid technologies in developing and integrating new and emerging technologies. The intent of the underlying principles is to ensure the continued reliability, safety and efficiency of the Canadian electric utility system.
“Canadian utilities are investing prudently in Smart Grid development efforts as they begin to seize the opportunity to modernize the grid for the next generation” said Ivano Labricciosa, Chair of the CEA Smart Grid Standards Task Group and Vice President, Asset Management at Toronto Hydro. “Many utilities have been working on Smart Grid projects that monitor, interface, interconnect, and leverage electronic technology to deliver improvements in grid reliability. These globally-recognized leading projects, however, require investment in and support for the development of recognized equipment and systems standards.”
A sample of the CEA’s guidelines:
“2.1.1 Preference is given to standards that are both practicable and have a suitable purpose that favours local variables. These variables include current and intended generation mix, customer base, geographic profile and any additional evaluation factor deemed necessary to consider by the end-user as a means to mitigate any adverse system reliability impacts with implementation of the standard.
“2.2.1 Preference is given to standards that do not require any modified or altered integrations, information exchange or otherwise. It is preferable to have product or system interfaces for which the integration, present or future, is without any implementable restrictions.
“2.6.1 Preference is given to standards that support legacy standards and thereby legacy equipment and devices, whether a smart grid technology or otherwise.”
To access the standard online go to www.electricity.ca > media > scroll down to Guideline for Smart Grid Standards Released
http://www.electricity.ca/media/pdfs/Standards/CEA_SMARTGRID_E_Version1_2.pdf