This class will present and discuss the main topics around SmartGrid: definition and scope. It will also present examples of existing implementations of SmartGrid around the world. Ventyx will explain the concept of Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) a how VPPs can be actionable in commercial operations to maximize the economics and environmental benefits of DR, DER and DG resources and programs. Attendees to this class will be able to answer these questions:
• What is SmartGrid?
• How is SmartGrid affecting utilities and GenCos around the world?
• What are the main challenges of SmartGrid implementations?
• What are VPP: DR, DER and DG?
• What is Commercial Operations in the context of SmartGrid?
• What are the economic and environmental benefits of SmartGrid?
• What are the typical stages of a SmartGrid project?
In addition, attendees will get a clear understanding of Ventyx, Inc. and its role in SmartGrid.
Carlos Romero, Industry Solution Executive, VENTYX

Smart Grid will be the principal enabling technology that will allow utilities to deliver the quality and value that customers rely upon today in a future filled with uncertainty and challenge. Austin Energy has embarked upon a journey to develop its own future grid. This presentation will examine Austin Energy’s Smart Grid vision, plans, current efforts, successes, and lessons learned.
ATTENDEES WILL LEARN ABOUT:
• Understand the Smart Grid strategic imperative;
• Hear Austin Energy’s Future Grid vision
• Learn about Austin Energy’s Smart Grid efforts undertaken and results achieved to date
John Heflin Baker, Jr., Chief Strategy Officer, AUSTIN ENERGY

This presentation will provide an overview of the electronic transportation in terms of its history, trends, drivers, and the emergence of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) as how it relates to the smart grid. With smart grid technology, and even smarter policy, the grid will provide these vehicles with the power they need and to sustain the resulting increased demand on the power system. This presentation will talk about the PHEV Demonstration programs as it relates to the smart grid.
ATTENDEES WILL LEARN ABOUT:
• Overcome challenges to PHEV Commercialization
• Electric Vehicle Technology
• Use EV Batteries as Home Energy Storage System
• Nature of Bio-fuels and Hydrogen Vehicles
• SCE’s EV Technical Center
• Trends in Transportation- A Perfect Storm
Edward Kjaer, Director, Electric Transportation, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON

Georgia Power is in the middle of upgrading all meters company-wide to allow use of the Smartgrid systems. They conducted a pilot in the summer of 2008 to see how they could encourage customers to modify their electric consumption during periods of peak energy usage. The Smartmeter was key to allow them to monitor and gauge success of the program. This presentation will share their results and learnings from the pilot and their next planned steps.
• Use the Smartmeter to encourage changes in customer energy usage
• Gauge the success of this program
• Use the learnings from this program to develop deeper and richer methods to encourage conservation and improve customer satisfaction
Bob Hughes, Manager of Products and Services, GEORGIA POWER COMPANY

With the recent attacks by Chinese and Russian cyberspies on the U.S. electrical grid, many are concerned about the security issues surrounding a national Smart Grid. Hear from industry-recognized experts about the vulnerabilities and threats around Smart Grid, and the specific steps needed to protect the grid. This presentation will discuss key security issues, including:
• Real life vulnerabilities and threats around the Smart Grid
• Impact and Implications for service providers
• Recommended Best Practices and specific how-to’s for reducing your risk
Adam Vincent, Chief Technical Officer-Public Sector, Layer 7 Technologies
Ted Barbusinski, Chief Architect, Enterprise/SOA Solutions, Vektrel, LLC
• Break down the pieces
• Prioritize the steps and Get it Started
Stephen Nees, Technology Strategy and Planning Manager, ANAHEIM PUBLIC UTILITIES

Due to the high number of dissolved gas-in-oil (DGA) samples being produced by on-line DGA monitors, Arizona Public Service Company (APS) has developed an “exception-based” system for processing and analyzing DGA samples. The system only notifies responsible personnel if a sample indicates an abnormality or indicates a change in abnormality or severity since the previous sample. An artificial neural network (ANN) and expert system based diagnostic tool for transformer fault diagnosis using DGA was developed by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and adapted by APS to better analyze DGA samples and predict transformer problems. The improved analysis engine was integrated with an in-house notification system that e-mails key APS personnel of problems noted by the system. TOAN is the winner of the Edison Electric Institute’s prestigious 2008 Edison Award for its “distinguished leadership, innovation, and contribution to the advancement of the electric industry for the benefit of all.”
ATTENDEES WILL LEARN ABOUT:
• Use exception based data processing techniques to create actionable information from large time-series data streams
• Use Artificial Neural Networks and Fuzzy Logic to detect and classify data points of interest within large time-series data streams
• Use Piecewise Linear Approximation to quickly detect and report on new trends within large time-series data streams
• Let data tell its own story by not imposing preconceived data processing limits.
Donald Lamontagne, Section Leader, T&D Reliability Analysis and Management, ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY

The electric system is being stressed in many ways, mostly non-traditional. Will this result in significant change? Will the change be manageable or chaotic? Can we afford the transformation? The model for change in the US may come from outside the borders and push our comfort envelope in technology, policy, and process.
ATTENDEES WILL LEARN ABOUT:
• See the drivers of change at work today
• Understand the value of transforming the grid with intelligence
• Examine a broadly accepted model for change in the US grid
• Understand an example of an existing grid transformation considered radical by the US norm
Steven Pullins, President, HORIZON ENERGY GROUP

This presentation describes and analyzes the economic benefits of distributed energy resources (DER) or distributed generation (DG) and demand response (DR) in the context of integrated commercial operations in a SmartGrid environment. This presentation will also demonstrate how, by applying commercial operations techniques within the SmartGrid context, utilities can maximize the value of existing infrastructure while increasing the level of reliability and reducing production costs and the impact on the environment.
ATTENDEES WILL LEARN ABOUT:
• Understand the basic concepts of DER, DR, DG and VPP
• Understand the concept and approach to Commercial Operations in the context of SmartGrid
• Understand how utilities can realize the economic and environmental benefits of VPPs
• Understand how Commercial Operations can link Demand Response programs to wholesale generation operations to maximize the value of existing infrastructure
Carlos Romero, Industry Solution Executive, VENTYX

This presentation will focus on the lessons learned in overcoming the barriers and disincentives to the smart grid transformation through the implementation of consumer-focused microgrids. This will include a discussion of the experience gained in eliminating the state regulatory policy and utility business model constraints on entrepreneurial innovation and true electricity service competition. These status-quo constraints are a serious threat to U.S. energy security, economic growth and environmental performance. The value opportunities and savings that can be achieved through raising the quality bar in electricity will clearly dwarf those of any other industry. ATTENDEES WILL LEARN ABOUT:
• Evaluate the real consumer and societal benefits of a smart grid
• Overcome conventional wisdom resistance to the smart grid transformation
• Use microgrids to accelerate the smart grid transformation with maximum consumer value
• Establish a new electricity “Constitution” for the 21st Century
Kurt Yeager, Executive Director, GALVIN ELECTRICITY INITIATIVE

Though rich in renewable energy resources, the U.S. is presently challenged by the need to move large amounts of power over long distances from resource rich, but often sparsely populated parts of the country, to population centers. ATTENDEES WILL LEARN ABOUT:
• How superconductors are part of the Smart Grid
• High capacity Electricity Pipeline combining underground superconductor cables and reduced voltage multi-terminal DC power transmission
• Operational, regulatory, and cost advantages
• Complimentary nature of EHV AC, conventional DC, and superconductor DC transmission methods
Jack McCall, Director, Business Development T&D Systems, AMERICAN SUPERCONDUCTOR

This presentation will describe the characteristics of the Smart Grid as described in EISA 2007. The purpose of this legislation is to set federal policy that mandates the modernization of the power grid in the USA. The Smart Grid is the future direction of the industry and is codified by Federal policy. This presentation will review key technology and how relates to the Smart Grid.
ATTENDEES WILL LEARN ABOUT:
• Anticipate the impact points and manage them
• Explore both the known and the unanticipated benefits
• Capture the cultural and operational opportunities
George Rodriguez, Manager, Power System Technologies, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON

The California Energy Commission is working with other state agencies, state utilities, smart grid technology manufacturers, the Department of Energy, industry associations, representatives from the public and other stakeholders to develop a definition of the smart grid of the future for California. Under the Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program, the Energy Commission is sponsoring research to develop and define the Pathway to the California Smart Grid of 2020. The California Smart Grid of 2020 will address the integration of new smart grid technologies with current and future planned grid systems that include generation, transmission, distribution and end use customer capabilities. This presentation will review the status of ongoing and completed research efforts and discuss the lessons learned to date in defining the Pathway to the California Smart Grid of 2020.
ATTENDESS WILL LEARN ABOUT
• Learn about California’s effort to define the smart grid of the future
• Understand what roles different organizations (regulators, agencies, utilities, academic community, industry, etc.) can play in developing a smart grid of the future
• Understand how one state is working to integrate new smart grid technologies with existing and planned utility grid systems
• Learn which regulations, standards, and protocols are being consider for smart grid implementation
• Hear the results of ongoing research into smart grid technologies and capabilities
Mike Gravely, Manager of Energy Systems, CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION

This presentation will discuss a series of emerging developments that are strongly pointing to the building sector as the critical nexus point for transforming the energy system. These are an increased focus on building energy efficiency and load management as economical measures to control energy costs and carbon emissions, new goals for zero-energy buildings embodied in federal legislation, new business models and declining cost curves for solar PV and other distributed generation, and vehicle electrification with smart charging and ancillary services potentials. These building-scale measures imply the deployment of digital communications and control systems interconnecting building and grid systems. Building Energy Nexus is a concept for coordinated deployments of smart buildings, smart grids and other advanced energy technologies at district- and community-scale.
ATTENDEES WILL LEARN ABOUT:
• Gain knowledge regarding emerging energy technology developments and how they link including advanced energy efficiency/load management, distributed generation and vehicle electrification
• Understand the opportunities for coordinated deployments of advanced energy technologies interconnecting smart buildings and smart grids
• Conceptualize and develop the necessary public and private partnerships needed to undertake such coordinated deployment initiatives
Jeffrey Sinsheimer, Attorney, Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass, LLP

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District is working on several elements that will tie directly into the smart grid. These include net zero energy homes and buildings, plug-in hybrid vehicles and energy storage, demand response, advanced metering infrastructure, emerging technologies and more. This presentation will cover results from past projects, current activities, and a summary of planned projects. Monitoring results from a net zero energy home which was completed in August 2008 will also be presented.
ATTENDEES WILL LEARN ABOUT:
• SMUD’s Smart Grid activities
• The link between zero energy homes and buildings and the Smart Grid
• The interaction between various technologies and how they relate to the Smart Grid
Jim Parks, Energy Efficiency and Customer R&D Manager, SACRAMENTO MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT

This is a case study of how OGE used a small, controlled pilot program to gain a huge understanding of customer behaviors and reactions to pricing signals. Did they shift usage? Did behavior change? Is it permanent?
ATTENDEES WILL LEARN ABOUT:
• Choose the right customers for a pricing signal program
• Communicate with participants to prompt behavioral change
• Ensure the change is sustainable
Jan S. Moore, President, DIRECT OPTIONS

With the promise and the visions around the Smart Grid in the public dialogue, how do utilities move from concept to implementation, navigate a changing regulatory environment, and manage consumer expectations. Trilliant Incorporated has been involved in the energy and utility industry for more than 20 years. Mr. Miller will identify key characteristics of a successful Smart Grid implementation, including rigorous security, multi-tier architecture, and the importance of standards.
ATTENDEES WILL LEARN ABOUT:
• The evolution of the Smart Grid.
• The required elements for a successful Smart Grid implementation. These include security, interoperability, scalability, high performance, and the use of standards.
• How a fully integrated consumer energy management solution will lead the Smart Grid into its next phase of evolution.
Eric Miller, Senior Vice President, Solutions, TRILLIANT

The benefits of the Smart Grid will be influenced by how well utilities manage the cultural impacts that come with them. The impacts to customer service, regulatory relationships, operational practices and organizational intelligence will be profound. This presentation will discuss some of those impacts and share ideas on how to manage so that they don’t manage you. • Anticipate the impact points and manage them
• Explore both the known and the unanticipated benefits
• Capture the cultural and operational opportunities
Bart Thielbar, President, Itility Solutions LLC