IEEE setting guidelineS for electricity storage

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers will begin efforts to write guidelines for large-scale electricity storage before the end of the year. The work, focused on hybrid systems that use multiple technologies, is part of a broad effort to define standards for smart electric grids.

The new effort to be called 2030.2 represents an extension of the work aimed at utility storage systems for transmission and distribution networks. The IEEE 2030 group is scheduled to deliver an overarching set of guidelines on smart grid interfaces early next year.

The new guidelines include batteries, super capacitors, flywheels and compressed air storage. "There are projects all over the world on electricity storage, but no one is talking about what is being learned from them," said Dick DeBlasio, a chief engineer at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab, who led the initial 2030 effort. He added that "There are [known] ways to get around the weaknesses of each storage technology to combine them into something useful."

Mark Siira, a director of switchgear systems for Kohler Power Systems, will chair the 2030.2 group which expects to have its first formal meeting in November. The group aims to gather 15-30 members and complete its work within about two years.

The initial 2030 effort, launched in June 2009, has resolved more than 200 comments on its revision 3.1 of smart grid interface guidelines. "The draft is coming along quite well and should be ballot ready by February, so we are on target," said DeBlasio.

The group also has spun out a 2030.1 effort drafting guidelines for integrating electric cars into the smart grid. DeBlasio envisions a separate effort on guidelines for power flow management.

"I really want to do this next, but it will be a tough one," said DeBlasio. "Electrons go where they want to go, so we will need smart inverters and other technologies," he said.

Other areas under discussion include drafting guidelines for how to manage load power, demand-side power and building energy use.

- Rick Merritt
EE Times

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