Score Your Smart Grid IQ (Investment Quotient)

ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Smart Grid Research Consortium today released a scorecard for utilities to evaluate their smart grid investment and planning process.  

The objective of the scorecard is to assist utilities in evaluating their current smart grid investment analysis and planning process.  The ideal investment/planning framework, reflected by a score of 100, is capable of identifying specific technologies and programs that best meet utility financial requirements while considering unique infrastructure and customer characteristics.  

For utilities who have not yet started the smart grid investment process, the scorecard provides guidance on issues to consider when developing in-house investment analysis/planning capabilities or when engaging consultants.  

"We have drawn on our experience developing and implementing the Smart Grid Investment Model ™ at fifteen utilities since 2010 to provide this evaluation process," said Dr. Jerry Jackson, Leader and Research Director of the Smart Grid Research Consortium. "This is the first benchmarking system to assist utilities in evaluating their approaches to this complex investment problem."  

Smart Grid IQ scores are compiled in six categories including: AMI/DA Investment/Planning Scope, Customer Engagement Investment/Planning Scope, Other Financial Items, Utility Customer Detail, Investment Analysis Quantitative Framework, and Ease of Use/User Interface/ Results Presentation.

The white paper describing the Smart Grid IQ scorecard is available at:

http://smartgridresearchconsortium.org/smartgridiq.htm

The Smart Grid IQ scoring system will be presented in more detail at the 2nd Annual "Evaluating the Business Case for Smart Grid Investments" conference, October 20-21, 2011 in Orlando.  A Smart Grid Investment Model Workshop is included on Friday, October 21.  The event, hosted by the Smart Grid Research Consortium, is open to all interested parties (Consortium members and nonmembers, regulators, manufacturers, vendors, etc) and is the only conference to focus on evaluating the smart grid business case at electric cooperatives, municipal and public utilities.  

Early-bird registration is available through September 15.  Additional details are available at: http://smartgridresearchconsortium.org/smartgridconference.htm

SMART GRID RESEARCH CONSORTIUM

The Smart Grid Research Consortium is an independent research Consortium open to electric cooperatives, municipal and other public utilities.  Consortium members receive benefits of a large-scale research project while sharing costs with other Consortium members.  Each Consortium member utility receives a Smart Grid Investment Model customized for their utility including monthly customer class/end-use kWh, peak kW and load profile forecasting and smart grid impact models. Additional details are available on the Consortium Web site:  http://smartgridresearchconsortium.org/

SOURCE Smart Grid Research Consortium