NIST Selects Plexus Research to Help Forge Path to Smart Grid Interoperability

Dec. 23, 2008
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a division of the United States Department of Commerce, has hired Plexus Research to assist in fulfilling its mandate to identify and support Smart Grid standards of interoperability

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a division of the United States Department of Commerce, has hired Framingham, Mass.-based Plexus Research , an R. W. Beck company, to assist in fulfilling its mandate to identify and support Smart Grid standards of interoperability as specified in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007). EISA 2007 directs NIST to identify existing and developing standards related to Smart Grid technologies, assess their current functional and technical interoperability, and prioritize actions to achieve a higher level of interoperability that would benefit utilities, businesses, and consumers.

The effort comprises three key deliverables to NIST:

  • A Smart Grid Standards Knowledge Base (SKB) that will serve as a central repository describing standards that support operation and integration of Smart Grid applications.

  • A Smart Grid Standards Interoperability Assessment (SIA) that will identify alignment, overlaps, and gaps among Smart Grid standards.

  • A Smart Grid Standards Landscape Map (SLM) that provides an interface for user access to the SKB and SIA. The SLM will enable a broad base of users to view and understand the elements, structure, status, and development of the Smart Grid standards landscape. The expected users of the SLM will be the Smart Grid standards development community; the Smart Grid stakeholders, various media; and political leaders who want to monitor, enable, and encourage Smart Grid progress.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EC&M, create an account today!

Sponsored Recommendations

Electrical Conduit Comparison Chart

CHAMPION FIBERGLASS electrical conduit is a lightweight, durable option that provides lasting savings when compared to other materials. Compare electrical conduit types including...

Fiberglass Electrical Conduit Chemical Resistance Chart

This information is provided solely as a guide since it is impossible to anticipate all individual site conditions. For specific applications which are not covered in this guide...

Considerations for Direct Burial Conduit

Installation type plays a key role in the type of conduit selected for electrical systems in industrial construction projects. Above ground, below ground, direct buried, encased...

How to Calculate Labor Costs

Most important to accurately estimating labor costs is knowing the approximate hours required for project completion. Learn how to calculate electrical labor cost.