AutomatedBuildings.com Interview - Smart Grid Dictionary 3rd Edition

Christine is a consultant, author, and professional explainer with over 20 years of experience managing successful introductions of disruptive innovations in new technologies, services, and business models and processes for partners and clients. A veteran of the telecommunications industry, she is well versed in the influences of market trends, regulations and standards, and corporate cultures on the success or failure of emerging technologies and services. She serves as a consultant and advisor to Smart Grid startups, private equity firms, investor groups, and utilities.

The Smart Grid Library delivers transformational consulting services and information services that help clients achieve success in the Smart Grid ecosystem. The firm provides strategic insights, business development guidance, project roadmaps, and customized information through consulting services, benchmarking, reports, and publications. Clients include Smart Grid technology and service startups, established industry vendors, utilities, and investment firms.

The Smart Grid Dictionary presents business-oriented definitions to explain concepts in terms that are approachable for the general population and useful for industry veterans.

Sinclair: What’s new and different about the 3rd Edition of the Smart Grid Dictionary?

Hertzog: The 3rd Edition has grown from 286 pages and approximately 1200 terms to 355 pages and over 1700 terms. We added water terminology that covers infrastructure and operations, which are impacted by Smart Grid-related technologies and applications just like electricity. The terminology covers relevant definitions and identification of regulatory agencies, standards development organizations, and industry associations that influence Smart Grid trends and directions, just like we’ve always delivered for electricity. The Advisory Board for the Smart Grid Dictionary also changed – we added new members to address the expanded focus into water and a continuing development effort in communications terminology. We’re very pleased to have an Advisory Board comprised of members with impressive Smart Grid credentials. Advisory Board members suggest new terms and review existing definitions to ensure the quality of the content. I welcome suggestions from your readers to contribute building automation terms for future editions.

Hertzog: It is important to have a consistent definition and structure of terminology that is vendor and technology-agnostic. The Smart Grid Dictionary presents business-oriented definitions to explain concepts in terms that are approachable for the general population and useful for industry veterans. We all understand the need and objectives for a Common Information Model as espoused by CIMug, and the goals of the Smart Grid Dictionary are similar – to communicate terms, explain acronyms, and identify important organizations; and build knowledge and support of the Smart Grid.

Hertzog: I’m very pleased to announce that the Smart Grid Dictionary 2nd Edition has been translated into Chinese and will be distributed in China as a bi-lingual Chinese/English version. Mr. Liang Wang, President and CEO of Accuenergy, did a great job with the translation. It’s availability date is projected to be sometime in September 2011. I’m honored to have the Smart Grid Dictionary contribute knowledge to build safe and reliable electricity grids enabled with bi-directional power and communications capabilities. Given the strong investment focus and support for Smart Grid projects in China, this is an exceptionally important market for all Smart Grid vendors. I’ve also received inquiries for translations into other languages and evaluate these on a case by case basis.

Hertzog: Yes, we recently released another publication co-authored by myself and Bill Maikranz, Consulting Director of the Smart Grid Library, that is titled: The Smart Grid Consumer Focus Strategy: Transforming Utility Operations to Build Consumer Value. This ebook is written for utility professionals who need a Roadmap to design, develop, and deploy consumer-focused operations to support their initiatives, including Smart Grid pilots and programs. We decided to write this ebook because we find that too many consultants tell utilities what to do, but never inform them about how to do it. We tell utilities how to achieve consumer-focused operations.

I’m also working on the 4th Edition of the Smart Grid Dictionary, which will include gas operations terminology that is influenced by Smart Grid technologies. We’re also continuing to add new electricity and water-related terms.

A separate publication, called the Smart Grid Dictionary Plus is targeted at academic markets, and includes teacher and student materials. This is published and distributed by Cengage Learning.

Events	Want Ads
Our Sponsors	Resources