ASSOCIATION NEWS DLMS/COSEM Seminar The DLMS Association will provide training on ‘DLMS and its basic elements’ at the 2014 Smart Grid Congress and Fair, taking place in May 2014 in Istanbul. The seminar will focus on the need for DLMS/ COSEM meter considerations – including interoperability, data security and communication media, defining the client side – client capabilities and data transport security, and specifications and conformance testing. For more information, contact the DLMS Association directly. www.dlms.com APATOR joins ESMIG On 26 March 2014 Brussels ESMIG welcomed a new member, APATOR, reaching a total of 30 member companies. APATOR will be actively involved in the European Business Systems Integration & Interoperability (EBSII) working group, which focuses on the enterprise system landscape and the interoperability of its components, as well as the Communications Technology (CTG) working group, which handles all communication technology-related topics of interest to ESMIG members. http://esmig.eu NIST releases version 3.0 standard as Smart Grid interoperability panel becomeS industry led non-profit The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has updated its Smart Grid interoperability standards publication (guide for smart grid interoperability) to include changes to governance and international collaboration that have occurred since 2012. NIST supports one of the key roles in the growth of the smart grid – bringing together manufacturers, consumers, energy providers and regulators to develop “interoperable standards”. Version 3.0 released by NIST on April 15 is generally the same as the previous draft – one significant change in the transition of the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel from a government funded public private partnership to an industry-led non-profit. As a government funded body, the panel created a catalogue of interoperability standards, 58 of them being approved. In a recent survey on Federal IT Reform, senior government IT executives set out their vision for the year ahead, identifying potential problems and detailing priorities. At the beginning of last year, the panel transitioned into an industry led non-profit entity which raises the bulk of its funds through membership fees, although NIST still provides some financial assistance and technical know-how. Since 2012, NIST has made progress on international standards, with the interoperability panel signing letters of intent to work with smart grid organisations in Ecuador, Colombia and Japan. 2013 marked the signing of a letter of intent with its Brazilian counterpart and its meeting with Korean and EU organisations to further co-ordinate standards. International standards assist in ensuring that suppliers of smart grid equipment in the United States can export products and offer customers reduced prices provided manufacturers do not have to alter their products to adhere to various standards in different countries.