Paving the Way for Smart Grids through 

Measurements and Standards

Gerald J. FitzPatrick

Leader, Applied Electrical Metrology Group

Quantum Measurement Division

National Institute of Standards and Technology

U.S. Department of Commerce

Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas Ministerial Meeting

September 7, 2017

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Energy Independence and Security Act

NIST has “primary responsibility to 

coordinate development of a 

framework that includes protocols 

and model standards for information 

management to achieve 

interoperability of smart grid 

devices and systems...” 
N I S T s m a r t g r i d p r o g r a m

External Coordination: Frameworks

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2010 2012 2014
An integrated Approach to Smart Grid Testing

• Performance + interoperability 

• Multidisciplinary – combines expertise of different NIST projects and 

laboratories to work together on multiple aspects of Smart Grid R&D

— high-power inverters and power conditioning systems

— microgrid operational interfaces

— PMUs, smart sensors

— cybersecurity

— advanced networks

— smart meters

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SGIP Smart Grid 

Interoperability

NIST

Measurement

Science

DOE/DOD Labs,

Test & Certification

ESI, EMS, Microgrid

& Storage functions

IT Networks, 

Cyber Security,

EMC, Sensors & 

Smart Meters

Power Electronic

Interconnection 

Equipment

Grid-Interactive

Microgrid, DER & 

Smart Appliances

Virtual Instrument Computer 

with Network and IEEE 488 Bus 

Cards

Microgrid Controller, 

Interconnection, PCS 

Under Test

LAN

Probes

Microgrid 

Interoperability Testbed

AC/DC Load 

Emulators

3 X 4.5 kW, 500 V

(nonlinear, motor, 

reactive, rectifier, ...)

Microgrid 

Controller, ESI, EMS

Power, 

Data, Meter 

options

LAN

IEEE 488

)))

Regenerative DC 

Emulators:

PV, Bat, DC Server

3 X 12 kW 600 V

+ 3 X 12 kW 120 V

Regenerative AC 

Grid Emulator

120 kW 

(phase, harmonics, 

transient faults, ...)

SCADA

Battery Storage 

System Under Test

Power Electronics, Relays, 

Sensors, Data Acquisition

Oscilloscope and

Network Analyzer

Utility 

Network 

Emulator

& DMS

Grid, Backup Gen, 

or CHP Emulators

3 X 12 kW 

(phase, harmonics, 

transient faults, ...)

Other Smart Grid 

Generators, 

Storage, Loads

Power wires

EMC

Storage EMS 

EVSE or CES

5 Allen Hefner (NIST)

NIST Smart Grid Testbed
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• Grid is highly distributed and complex

—Increasing diversity of device, resource, and control

• Uncertainty is growing

—Growing numbers and increasing dynamics of variables lessen 

the likelihood of well-behaved, predictable system

—Legacy models and tools incapable of addressing the growing 

uncertainty

• Progress needed across multiple dimensions

—New grid models

—Networked measurements

—Diversified applications

—Expanding customer base

Uncertainty is a dominant challenge
• Synchrometrology is the scientific study 

of time-synchronized measurement.

• The NIST Synchrometrology Lab 

supports U.S. competitiveness and 

economic security through research and 

standards development in the field of 

time synchronized measurements in 

electric power generation, transmission, 

and distribution.

—Co-funded by Departments of Commerce 

and Energy.

• Ongoing Projects:

—Reducing measurement uncertainty in 

preparation for future requirements.

—Collaborate in the assessment of the 

impact of errors in synchronized 

measurement on power system 

applications.

—Collaborate in development of 

voluntary consensus standards and 

guides:

• IEEE Standards Association

• International Electrotechnical Commission.

—Collaborate in the development of 

conformity assessment methods.

Synchrometrology for the electric power system

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Framework front panel and Visualization App

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• Two years ago, NASPI formed the

PMU Applications Requirements

Task Force

—NASPI-wide, about 40 members

PMU Application Requirements

• NASPI, NIST, and PNNL 

collaborated on a white paper 

which is published by NASPI today. 

Provides guidelines and 

terminology for assessing 

application needs

Colllaboration on PARTF development with:

INTI – Pablo Marchi

INMETRO – Marcelo Britto Martins.
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• Models are relied upon throughout the power system.

• We compare measurements of “actual values” against model 

predictions to help validate the model

—But how actual are the “actual values?”

• And how bad can they be before there is a problem?

Model Validation

Credit: Sandia National Laboratory

• NERC requires models to be validated

– Many policies, reports and papers have 

been published on the topic.

• What is the impact of synchronized 

measurement error on model 

validation?
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• NIST supports PMU conformity 

assessment by establishing 

traceability for IEEE ICAP 

Conformity Assessment Program

Conformity Assessment & Traceability

Yi-hua Tang, Josephson

Array and Zener Diode Richard Steiner, Multimeter

Calibration System

Jerry Stenbakken calibrating

The PMU Calibrator Calibration System

Ya-Shian Li-Baboud, Timing

Source Calibration

Steve Jefferts and Tom Heavener, NIST-F2 

Cesium fountain atomic clock Allen Goldstein, taking a break from 

calibrating calibrators
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THE VALUE PROPOSITION FOR SYNCHROPHASOR TECHNOLOGY 

• methodology for identifying and estimating the benefits of using synchrophasor

technology to enhance grid operations and planning 

• calculate and sum the value of these monetary and non-monetary benefits over 

time 

• Cost savings are derived from:

• congestion reduction, 

• reduced labor costs associated with reduced forensic analysis

• model validation

• deferred or avoided capital acquisition

• Reduced outages through oscillation detection and actions to restore grid 

stability

• identifying potential equipment failures and fixing them before they occur

• congestion reduction, reduced labor costs associated with reduced forensic 

analysis, and model validation 

• Environmental benefits due to increased amount of intermittent renewable energy 

that can be accommodated by the grid
Thank you!

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