Establishing RD&D Foundation for Smart Grid Center: Reference Design for Residential Information Gateways David M. Auslander Mechanical Engineering, UC Berkeley Scope Definition Meeting: July 24, 2009

Residential Gateway Domain The transmission (T) system domain which is operated by the California Independent System Operator, CAISO The distribution (D) system domain which is operated by utility distribution companies The load (L) system domain which is owned and operated by consumers Our domain, the residential component of the load system

Residential Load Management Residential Electricity – about 30% of total in California (35% of peak) Essentially unmanaged (think “Flex Your Power”) Current residential loads only have to be compatible with the power plug Only HVAC has a semi-open interface (the thermostat)

Gateway Reference Design Project Objectives Pick a reasonable set of possibilities for gateway functionality Consult with stakeholders (utilities, appliance mfg, consumers, gov’t, …) Determine technical and economic feasibility Phase I – Develop a Design Spec Phase II - Build a functioning model

My Thoughts on Gateway Elements: System Requirements Have all of the major components that a commercial gateway would need, Show that it operates and performs the energy management functions needed for "smart grid" concepts currently being developed, Run on a computationally modest enough platform to prove economic viability for a commercial product, Have strong modularity so various organizations can work independently,

Requirements … Demonstrate connectivity using several networking media, Provide for secure operation, Be field upgradeable for core software upgrades as well as addition of new modules, Provide flexibility for various user interface options.

Components … Gateway Hardware: model is home Internet router Operating System: Ultimately Linux; Linux or Windows for project Application Software Language: Java Software Framework: OSGi, a service-oriented package for small systems

Components … Communication Protocols: Probably biggest open issue; scope of project is such that protocols used must be simple Test Bed: Simulation with live communications, then add hardware