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IEEE Smart Grid February 2012

IEEE Smart Grid Newsletter - February 2012

Building and Testing Smart Systems in an All-New Clean-Slate Microgrid

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Written by S. Massoud Amin

While opinions may differ about whether there is a single "right size" for smart grid demonstration projects, most will agree that a village is too small and countries too large to produce meaningful results. University campuses and communities represent an appealing intermediate scale, with enough diversity to put claimed benefits and costs to the test, as well as the intellectual resources to devise innovative approaches. An ambitious program at the University of Minnesota is showing how this can be done.

Two Ways to Make U.S. Distribution Systems Self-Healing

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Written by Fang Yang and Zhao Li

To improve the self-healing capability of the distribution-level smart grid in United States, the distribution outage management system has been evolving with exploration of two complementary technologies: feeder level fault detection, isolation and service restoration; and smart meter-based outage analysis. Both technologies are essential to elements in any smart grid blueprint.

Teasing Detailed Home Habits from Aggregate Energy Consumption Data

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Written by Diane J. Cook and Chao Chen

Machine learning techniques can be applied to sensor data collected from smart homes to reveal activity patterns of the residents, which can then be correlated with measured energy consumption. By associating activities with energy use and costs, intelligent systems can be devised to automatically control home environments so as to improve energy efficiency and cut expenses.

The Special Security Challenges in Upgrading an Economy-Built Grid

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Written by Sandeep Agrawal and Manoj B. Daigavane

The smart grid implies automation of the electric power grid, involving analysis of energy usage patterns to achieve data-driven management in real time. But automation often implies computerization, bringing in new cyber security risks if proper thought is not given to system design at the very outset. Security issues and lessons to consider include source code security, security as risk management, and how to move beyond defensive behavior to proactive procedures.

About the Smart Grid Newsletter

A monthly publication, the IEEE Smart Grid Newsletter features practical and timely technical information and forward-looking commentary on smart grid developments and deployments around the world. Designed to foster greater understanding and collaboration between diverse stakeholders, the newsletter brings together experts, thought-leaders, and decision-makers to exchange information and discuss issues affecting the evolution of the smart grid.

Contributors

Massoud AminMassoud Amin is a senior member of IEEE, chairman of the IEEE smart grid newsletter, and a fellow of ASME.
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Fang YangFang Yang, a member of IEEE, works as a senior research and development engineer with the ABB Inc. US Corporate Research Center in Raleigh, N.C.
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Zhao LiZhao Li, a member of IEEE, works as a senior software architect with the ABB Inc. US Corporate Research Center in Raleigh, N.C.
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Diane CookDiane Cook, an IEEE Fellow, is Huie-Rogers Chair Professor in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Washington State...
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Chao ChenChao Chen is a doctoral student in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Washington State University.
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Sandeep AgrawalSandeep Agrawal obtained a B.E. degree in electronics and power engineering from Nagpur University, in Nagpur, India in 1986.
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Manoj B. DaigavaneManoj B. Daigavane obtained a B.E. degree in power electronics engineering from Nagpur University, in Nagpur, India in 1988.
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