Overview of IntelliGrid Architecture

The Integrated Energy and Communications Systems Architecture (IntelliGrid Architecture) Project was sponsored by the Electricity Innovation Institute (E2I), a member of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) family members. The IntelliGrid Project was funded by the Consortium of Electric Infrastructure to Support a Digital Society (CEIDS).

The IntelliGrid Project has two objectives:

1) Power System Functions - determining the Business Needs of power system operations requirements for the power system of today and in the future, including self-healing grid concepts.

2) IntelliGrid Architecture - using these requirements as the basis for the information requirements necessary to support the envisioned power system of the future, building toward a Strategic Vision, using a Tactical Approach with migration paths and technology independent techniques, based on Standards and Best Practices. Recommendations are focused on the different users of the IntelliGrid Architecture so that they can understand and pursue their appropriate goals.

These two objectives validate that the future energy system is really an architected blend of two infrastructures: An energy delivery infrastructure and a supporting distributed computing infrastructure. This vision of two blended infrastructures maintains the view that progress is necessary within both of these infrastructures to effectively create the envisioned future energy system.