Energy Resource Economics

SMART INVERTER WORKING GROUP MEETING

1950.002

7/2/2014

Questions for Jamie

  • Clean Coalition asked if in the process for filing comments, is there a procedure to follow
  • Yes, but step 1 is to be a party to the Rule 21 proceeding. Then you can file comments in the rulemaking and advice letter process
  • Schedule for phase 1?
  • Don't know exactly what the tariffs will look like
  • Once the tariffs are filed with the Rule 21 changes that enable autonomous inverter capabilities, submit a resolution, and when the resolution is approved, it will go forward.
  • 18 months after whatever process is used
  • Will phase 2 or 3 results be available before 18 month period?
  • When phase 2, hopefully it will be given to the commission in maybe December (schedule to be discussed this meeting)
  • No reason phase 2 completion has to wait until phase 1 is done

SIWG Phase 2: Areas of Agreement?

  • Frances noted that determining what the data exchanges will be is a big step in letting manufacturers design their systems
  • When previously discussing utility-to-facility and utility-to-aggregator, we’ve been talking about market based items
  • For other interactions, things are more unclear
  • There is a distinction between the information models of 61850 and the information protocols
  • The Information model for exchanging data between entities shall be IEC 61850
  • Frances would like at least agreement that we will be able to do data exchanges for phase 1 functions

Schedule for Phase 2

  • Task 1: Attempting to get document to CPUC by 7/7 so staying at a high level with this discussion
  • We can do a deeper dive into the issues once it's submitted
  • Parties did not have many comments on the rest of the schedule
  • Parties noted that it may be difficult to agree on schedule without knowing what the use cases are
  • Frances noted that the point is to get the basics like phase 1 functionality, which is not real time, set up
  • As a start, we can say that the use cases are enabling the phase 1 functions
  • Frances would at least like to agree on updating and enabling phase 1 functions
  • There is more to discuss but this is important for now
  • Parties question what needs to be submitted
  • Frances said we need to submit the issues and will also submit areas of agreement
  • Parties noted that the commission did not ask for all of that
  • What is the next step after submitting our list of issues? The CPUC has mentioned a list of tasks but don't we need comments on the issues first?
  • Jamie notes that after the list of issues is submitted, another scoping memo will be issued after the 18th to lay out a plan
  • We are currently telling them what we are discussing
  • There are two documents
  • SIWG phase 2 issues (presentation slides)
  • Will documents be sent out once more before the 7th
  • It is ok if we disagree later on something that we said we agreed upon in the submittal
  • We can change our minds. It is just important that we have a process to resolve our issues
  • We could have an internal schedule with specific tasks and a more general one to submit to the CPUC
  • Number of tasks?
  • 2 tasks
  • a) Turn this document in and b) finish by Nov or Dec 2014
  • Is this adequate or does the CPUC want more details
  • Parties are not concerned with the number of tasks in the PowerPoint but about the timeline
  • CPUC says that they are flexible dates and that we can try to hold to them or at least use them to measure progress
  • Frances suggests using the same dates for tasks 2 and 4
  • Utility schedule
  • Jamie hopes that the utility proposed schedule goes along with this schedule
  • Frances asked what this group can do to help with the development of the IOU use cases.
  • Would an occasional review of what utilities are coming up with before submitting it to the group be useful?
  • Possibly
  • Workshop
  • It would be best to plan on getting as much done as possible before the workshop
  • The workshop will be an all-day meeting
  • CPUC needs 3-month notice to schedule the workshop, and that will begin after this document is submitted. That gives everyone 3 months to determine the schedule
  • Frances asked if the group wants to ask the CPUC to set up a meeting in October or wait until we get a grasp on our progress
  • Parties would like to aim for late October

Moving forward

  • Frances suggested taking three slides from the powerpoint (schedule, areas of agreement, resolution items) and putting those into the document
  • Parties did not have any more suggestions about what should go in the document