On August 29th, the Association of Electrical Equipment and Medical Imaging Manufacturers (NEMA) announced that it has undertaken the task of  converting its Smart Grid Interoperability Process Reference Manual (IPRM) into an ANSI/NEMA standard.  (See ANSI Standards Action, Page 47). NEMA is seeking volunteers to participate in a canvassing committee and is asking specifically for participants in the User category as defined in ANSI Essential Requirements.  The IPRM is a key foundational element in placing interoperable products in the international market place.  To Evan Gaddis, President and CEO of NEMA:

…“By a number of definitions, Smart Grid is an investment program. The federal government has invested billions of dollars through the Stimulus Act, which has prompted corresponding investments by utility companies and manufacturers alike. Ultimately, in order for this to be a success, it will also require consumer investment both in terms of in-home devices and electric rates that support utility company deployments….”

Apart from the cash flows to the academic side of our industry from the federal research to support the Smart Grid transformation, the facilities side of the $300 billion education facilities industry has a $60 billion annual spend on electrical power and communication technology products, construction, and operations and maintenance.  With an economic footprint of this scale — larger than any single electrical manufacturer — we want to exert downward pressure on our costs through the ANSI standards development process.  NEMA is offering us a chance to do it.

Smart grid has been tracking in the agenda of the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee but more electrical power subject matter experts are needed — especially electrical engineers who are directly employed by a university-affiliated healthcare system.  Accordingly,  this standard will be on the agenda of the next regularly scheduled teleconference of the IEEE Education and Healthcare Committee on Tuesday, September 8th.  Note that there are two teleconferences scheduled every other Tuesday, one for each of the European and American time zones. Teleconference login information is available at this link:  https://site.ieee.org/icps-ehe/

Issue: [15-262]

Contact: Mike Anthony, Bob Arno, Jim Harvey, Mahesh Illindala

Category: Electrical, Information & Communications Technology, Energy Management