Helping our clients define, specify, evaluate, select and deploy solutions to better manage, monitor, optimize and protect the grid.
The rapid evolution of advanced control and communication technologies that are being applied to the electric grid has presented a challenge both to utilities and the vendor community. In the past, utilities were subject to slow rates of technology change in the power system and often do not have the personnel, facilities, or expertise available to evaluate new technologies. Similarly, new vendor entrants into the industry are unprepared to deal with the unique environment of utility technology deployment (harsh physical environment, life safety critical systems, very high degrees of reliability, inaccessibility of devices, unique cyber security requirements, etc.).
We offer vendors, utilities and regulatory elements a place to evaluate and understand technology readiness for smart grid.
EnerNex technology services address these utility-side and vendor-side issues through technology maturity evaluation, requirements development, specification writing, utility procurement assistance, vendor technology design review engineering and consulting, pre-conformance testing, security design review, and device and system level penetration testing. We offer vendors, utilities, and regulatory stakeholders a neutral and trusted place to evaluate and understand technology readiness for smart grid in ongoing and emerging technology efforts.
Cybersecurity
EnerNex practices a standards-based approach to solving cybersecurity problems for utilities. We combine the talents of our industry experts from information technology, cybersecurity and power systems engineering to bring a greater level of understanding and solutions to the challenges encountered in the electric utility industry.
Expertise in cybersecurity, electrical engineering, and information technology are combined to present a balanced set of solutions that provides comprehensive insight into your organization’s security posture. These disciplines include CISSP certified engineers, professional engineers and PhD’s in Electric Power Engineering and Computer Science.
EnerNex is actively involved in the development of standards and protocols designed to enhance cybersecurity for the electric power industry; we work with utilities on security policy and architecture development, vulnerability analysis, risk assessments, security audit deployment and regulatory compliance.
IEC 61850
EnerNex provides recognized expertise in utility communication, particularly in industry standard and communication protocols. Our team was heavily involved in development of such standards and protocols as IEC 61850, IEC 60870‐5 and DNP3. In addition, we played a key role in the development of the EPRI Utility Communication Architecture (UCA) project and the IntelliGrid Architecture effort.
Utility Procurement Assistance
In this rapid pace of technology innovation, utilities are often faced with the challenge of effectively specifying, tendering, evaluating and procuring systems, service and other technologies for the grid evolution. EnerNex has developed a set of tools to facilitate the process for our clients. Often utility requirements may be created from a limited knowledge of system or element capabilities that are based on experience from a particular set of vendor offerings.
To gain a broader perspective of capabilities we can perform an unbiased vendor neutral set of requirements gathering, and translate these functional and non-functional requirements into technical specifications. Armed with a suite of specifications, we can help develop the tendering documents, (RFP, RFQ, etc.) that follow your corporate guidelines. Our support could also include developing vendor ranking scorecards, conducting activities around the process (answering questions, holding pre-bid conferences, etc.) and fully supporting the evaluation process. Once potential suppliers are down-selected, we can help with Vendor Due Diligence, performance verification (e.g. tests and demonstrations) as required. Finally, we can support your organization with foundation-based and substantiated evidence for unbiased recommendations. Since EnerNex has no financial arrangement, affiliations with suppliers of services to the industry, we can ensure fair and unbiased perspectives on suppliers.
Vendors Due Diligence
EnerNex has expertise in distinct areas of vendor due diligence. Technical due diligence assesses the ability of a given company to perform as defined. It includes an asset review, market coverage, optimization and product design and status. Market due diligence assesses the differentiation of products in the previous areas relative to current and potential new market offerings and also includes competition.
Software due diligence will evaluate the architecture of the software platform and includes architecture questions, policy-based control, end device integration architecture, cybersecurity, software methods and design integrity and scalability. Financial due diligence evaluates the underlying financials and includes both the finances, as well as customers and potential customers. Staff and management due diligence evaluates the staff and management and includes an evaluation of sales successes.
Pre-certification Testing
Securing the operational automation systems (including SCADA/EMS/DMS, Substation Automation, and Distribution Automation) requires security professionals with significant domain experience within the electric utility industry and especially with the real-time high availability systems which are critical to power system reliability.
EnerNex‘s extensive experience in the electric utility industry ensures an understanding of the unique aspects of these control systems, and the role they play in supporting the power system and how to effectively secure them without adversely impacting operations. Our participations and involvement in the various standards efforts (including IEEE and IEC) ensure standards based defense-in-depth approach and recommended practices are applied in all aspects of our services. We couple our monitoring, utility communications and power systems expertise to provide testing and R&D services in the areas of equipment testing for conformance with industry standards.
Communications Cyber Assurance
The North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) Critical Infrastructure Protection Standards set a baseline for critical infrastructure cybersecurity. EnerNex provides electric utilities consulting services focused on risk reduction and compliance to these standards. Our focus is on the security controls and activities necessary to achieve and sustain security and compliance goals. We have a solid understanding of the unique aspects of the control systems utilized, the role they play in supporting the power system, and how to effectively secure them without adversely impacting operations.
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