Advanced Standardization in Distribution System Management and Associated Information Exchange

Standardization in the context of smart grids is predominantly characterized by focusing on interface specifications enabling the interoperability of systems, devices and equipment. Developing standards for the syntactic and semantic understanding between the information and communication technology (ICT) systems and devices in the field of power system management makes IEC Technical Committee 57 one of the key smart grid committees. After an overall presentation of TC57 the paper gives:  An overview of TC57 production, with a focus on the field of Power Distribution, with a description of its objectives, and how it fits in the existing series.  A description of the projects undertaken for the revision of the reference architecture for power system information exchange. The later will provide guidance for future developments not limited to TC57 only, but also for the whole smart grid domain. It will cover explanation of the underlying methodology (Smart Grid Architecture Model), how Use Cases developed in several IEC Technical Committees are key in order to coordinate, harmonize and facilitate interoperability, and how other existing smart grid related principles are used in TC57. TC57 CONTRIBUTION TO SMART GRIDS Information exchange plays the key role in smart grid architectures because it is crucial for systems interoperability and data consistency. This topic with its related challenges is addressed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standardization, and more specifically by its Technical Committee 57 (Power System Management and Associated Information Exchange). This committee was launched more than 50 years ago to address the urgent need to produce international standards in the field of communications between pieces of equipment and systems for the electric power industry, which was a first contribution to smart grids. The scope of TC57 has evolved several times in order to stick to the market needs, comprising communication interfaces, information security and data model specifications covering power utility automation (protection, substation automation, distribution automation), DER management, SCADA, EMS, DMS, market communication as well as information exchange between power system and home-, buildingand industry automation. TC57 production is not a juxtaposition of publications. It relies on core semantics standards which are the Common Information Model (CIM) and IEC 61850 series, that have been recognized as pillars of the smart grids architectures. Besides the production of dedicated standards to cover specific needs and their evolutions (ex telecontrol), the challenges of TC57 are manifolds: to keep a consistent, open and up-to-date reference architecture taking into account the evolving requirements in generation, transmission, market, distribution, including customer support. Thus, the 600 experts of TC57 work in collaboration with other standardization committees (renewables, storage, EV, metering, demand-response ...) and large organizations or associations dealing with smart grids (NIST, EU, ENTSO-E, CIGRE, CIRED...). Internally to IEC, strong co-operations were established with Strategic Group 3 (dealing with smart grids) and with the Advisory Committee for Transmission and Distribution (ACTAD). TC57 is responding to the market needs by extending and developing its standards portfolio through various projects. These projects are initiated by new work item proposals requested by national committees, in many cases fed through the gap analyses of smart grid standardization initiatives e.g. NIST, EU M490 or Strong and Smart Grid China.