The Smart Grid Roadmap [NIST SP1108r1] describes the conceptual reference model as a tool for discussing the characteristics, uses, behavior, and other elements of Smart Grid domains and the relationships among these elements. The model is a tool for identifying the standards and protocols needed to ensure interoperability and cybersecurity and defining and developing architectures for systems and subsystems within the Smart Grid.
Interoperability of a Smart Grid is the ability of diverse systems to work together, use the compatible parts, exchange information or equipment from each other, and work cooperatively to perform tasks. It enables integration, effective cooperation, and two‐way communications among the many interconnected elements of the Smart Grid.
The viewpoint depicted in the diagram provides a high‐level, overarching logical architecture representation of a few major relationships that existing applications have to Smart Grid domains. This diagram suggests what their possible communication paths could be in a Smart Grid. It is also a useful way to identify potential intra‐ and inter‐domain interactions between existing and new applications, along with capabilities enabled by these interactions.
To enable the Smart Grid functionality, the actors in a particular domain often interact with actors in other domains. Actors are devices, systems, or programs that make decisions and exchange information necessary for executing applications within the Smart Grid. Actors have the capability to make decisions and to exchange information with other actors. Organizations may have actors in more than one domain. Figure 1.9 illustrates a composite view of actors within domains of the conceptual reference model.
Figure 1.9 View of the actors within domains of NIST conceptual reference model.
Source: [NISTIR 7628r1].
Public Domain.
Information about the actors associated with the NIST conceptual reference model is provided in [NISTIR 7628r1], [NIST SP1108r3]. Table 1.2 includes a list of selected actors and their description.
Table 1.2 Actor descriptions for the logical reference model.
Source: [NISTIR 7628r1]. Public Domain.
| Actor no | Acronym | Actor | Actor description |
| 1 | DCS | Plant control system – distributed control system | A local control system at a bulk generation plant. This is sometimes called a distributed control system (DCS) |
| 2 | Customer | An entity that pays for electrical goods or services. A customer of a utility, including customers who provide more power than they consume | |
| 3 | Customer appliances and equipment | A device or instrument designed to perform a specific function, especially an electrical device, such as a toaster, for household use. An electric appliance or machinery that may have the ability to be monitored, controlled, and/or displayed | |
| 4 | DER | Distributed energy resources (customer generation and storage) | Energy generation resources, such as solar or wind, used to generate and store energy (located on a customer site) to interface to the controller (home area network/business area network [HAN/BAN]) to perform an energy‐related activity |
| 5 | EMS | Energy management system | An application service or device that communicates with devices in the home. The application service or device may have interfaces to the meter to read usage data or to the operations domain to get pricing or other information to make automated or manual decisions to control energy consumption more efficiently. The EMS may be a utility subscription service, a third‐party offered service, a consumer‐specified policy, a consumer‐owned device, or a manual control by the utility or consumer |
| 6 | PEV/EVSE | Plug‐in electric vehicle/electric vehicle service element | PEV is a vehicle propelled by an electric motor and powered by a rechargeable battery. It can be recharged using an external power source. When the external power source is the power grid, the EV is connected through the EVSE that provides power and communication |
| 7 | HAN Gateway | Home Area Network Gateway | An interface between the distribution, operations, service provider, and customer domains and the devices within the customer domain |
| 8 | Meter | Point‐of‐sale device used for the transfer of product and measuring usage from one domain/system to another | |
| 9 | Customer Premise Display | A device that displays usage and cost data to the customer on location | |
| 11 | Water/gas metering | A point‐of‐sale device used for the transfer of product (water and gas) and measuring usage from one domain/system to another | |
| 12 | Distribution data collector | A data concentrator collecting data from multiple sources and modifying/transforming it | |
| 13 | Distributed intelligence capabilities | Advanced automated/intelligence application that operates in a normally autonomous mode from the centralized control system to increase reliability and responsiveness | |
| 15 | RTU/IED | Distribution remote terminal unit/intelligent electronic device |
Receives
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