Recommended Functionalities for Improving Cybersecurity of Distributed Energy Resources: Preprint
Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: The legacy electric grid is transitioning into a 'present' modern grid due to increasing penetration of intermittent renewable generation at the distribution side, also known as distributed energy resources (DERs). Monitoring and control of such DERs requires extensive data-exchange and bidirectional communication networks. This bidirectional communication paves the way to cyber vulnerabilities and risks for new kinds of cyber-attacks that may have destructive impacts on power system operations. Since IEEE Std. 1547-2018 does not discuss cybersecurity measures for DERs, cybersecurity controls should be developed for securing DER systems at all three levels: device level, communications level, and applications level. This paper discusses the current industry's best practices related to DER cybersecurity and proposes recommended functionalities for improving the cybersecurity posture of DERs. These practical recommended functionalities have been discussed and verified with the industry through a DER cybersecurity working group and are meant to improve the device level security of DERs.
Author: Saleem, Danish [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)]; Siqueira de Carvalho, Ricardo [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)]
Institution: National Laboratory of the Rockies
Language: English
Subfield: Control and Systems Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7033594892