Brussels, Belgium --- (METERING.COM) --- January 30, 2013 - As part of an initiative to ensure that their standardization needs are met and to support the ongoing standardization process, Europe’s distribution grid operators (DSOs) have released a paper setting out their priorities for smart grid standardization.

The paper, published by Eurelectric and EDSO for Smart Grids, identifies the main application areas for the DSOs as peak demand management, grid optimization and power quality management, and the connection of renewables and other types of energy resources to the distribution grid.

To this end, the paper identifies the standardization priorities in three main categories:

• Smart network management, including electromagnetic compatibility and power quality, advanced network operation and control (e.g. faster fault identification and self-healing capabilities, advanced network automation, volt var/watt control), and smart metering and powerline communication
• Smart integration of distributed generation and e-mobility, including connecting decentralized generation, integration of electric vehicles, and integration of new usages such as storage, heating and cooling,etc.
• Smart markets and active customers, including enabling the DSO to act as market facilitator and grid optimizer, developing demand response and demand side management programs, aggregating distributed energy resources and e-mobility, and balancing the power grid.

Timely availability of these standards will be important, especially because the DSOs already have to cope with challenges that require smart grid functionalities and services, the paper states. The proliferation of intermittent decentralized renewables in the distribution grid is but one example.

If the final standards are to reflect DSO standardization needs, DSOs must act rapidly to ensure that their views are heard, the paper continues. To this end, Eurelectric intends to publish a DSO standardization roadmap for smart grids in the course of this year.

The EC’s Mandate M/490 on standards for European smart grid deployment is currently being executed by the European standardization organizations CEN, CENELEC and ETSI.