Product Abstract

The Public Service of New Mexico (PNM) Smart Grid demo project, like Smart Grid projects at utilities around the world, is breaking new ground in a multitude of areas. It is not simply the new and innovative electrical system technologies that are being installed, operated and evaluated, nearly everything associated with the implementation of the new electrical system technologies is also new: the supporting Information Technology infrastructure (communications, smart devices and applications), the level of need for integration, the standards available to support that integration, the magnitude of data available, the business processes required for operating and maintaining the new electrical system technologies, even the strategies and approaches for designing the solution architecture are new.

This report focuses on the standards being applied in the PNM (Public Service of New Mexico) Smart Grid Demonstration Project. This project will co-locate a 2.0 MWh Advanced Lead Acid battery with a separately installed 500kW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant at a utility-owned site to create a firm, dispatchable distributed generation resource. The analysis was performed after PNM had developed system and communication requirements for this grid connected PV farm and storage facility using the IntelliGridSM Methodology. In attempting to purchase equipment whose functionality would be in line with IntelliGrid-suggested requirements, it became clear that vendor products are not yet commensurate with the requirements of PNM. A gap analysis of the standards at PNM was undertaken and changes in the IntelliGrid Methodology were suggested to accommodate situations where the requirements need to be revised.