NIST Smart Grid Framework

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Smart Grid Conceptual model provides a high level framework that defines seven important Smart Grid domains: Bulk, Generation, Transmission, Distribution, Customers, Operations, Markets, and Service Providers. It shows all the communications and energy/electricity flows connecting each domain and how they are interrelated one to another. In a more specific view, each domain is comprised of important Smart Grid elements connected to each other through two-way communications and energy/electricity paths, which are the basis of the future, intelligent and dynamic power electricity grid.

Bulk generation

The Bulk Generation Domain generates electricity from renewable and non renewable energy sources in bulk quantities. These sources can also be classified as renewable-variable sources, such as solar and wind; renewable non-variable such as hydro, biomass, geothermal and pump storage; or no renewable, non-variable, such as nuclear, coal and gas. It may also contains energy storage for later distribution.

Transmission

The Transmission Domain carries bulk electricity over power transmission lines over long distances, connecting the bulk generation to the energy consumption centers of the smart grid. It also contains the power system substations; the transmission and the distribution substations. It may also connects to energy storage facilities and alternative distributed energy resources at the transmission level.

Distribution

The Distribution Domain distributes the electricity to and from the end customers. The distribution network connects the smart meters and all intelligent field devices; manages and controls them through a two-way wireless or wireline communications network. It may also connects to energy storage facilities and alternative distributed energy resources at the distribution level.

Customer

The Customer Domain is where the end users (home, commercial/building, and industrial) of electricity are connected to the electric distribution network through the smart meters. The smart meters control and manage the flow of electricity to and from the customers and provides energy information about energy usage and patterns. Each customer has its own domain comprised of electricity premise and two-way communications networks. It may also generate, store, and manage the use of energy and the connectivity with plug-in-vehicles.

Operation

The Operations Domain manages and control the electricity flow of all other domains. It uses a two-way communications network to connect to substations, customer premises networks and other intelligent field devices, providing monitoring, reporting, controlling and supervision status and important process information decision. Business intelligence processes gathers data from the customer and network and providesintelligence to support the decision making.

Markets

The Markets Domain operates and coordinates the participants in electricity markets. It provides the market management, the wholesaling, the retailing and trading of energy services operation. It interfaces with all other domains and makes sure they are coordinated in a competitive market environment. The markets also handles the energy information clearinghouse operation and information exchange with third party service providers, like the inter utility plug-in-vehicle roaming billing information.

Service Provider

The Service Provider Domain handles all third party operations within the domains, such as the end customers energy efficiency management through energy web portals, data exchange for energy management between customer and the utilities, and the electricity supplied to homes and buildings. It may also manage other utilities processes such as demand response programs, outage management and field services.

IEEE Smart Grid