Siemens and PJM Announce Public Release of Shared Architecture Integration Platform


ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 15 - Siemens Energy and PJM Interconnection announce the release of the Spectrum Power(TM) Shared Architecture (SA) integration platform and its components, including XML messages, Web services description and application program interfaces. SA is a product-based, secure integration platform for technologically diverse energy, market and distribution management systems. This new architecture is a foundation to enable the development of Smart Grid solutions.

The Shared Architecture (SA) is designed around the industry standard common information model and common market extensions (CIM/CME), a model-driven information enterprise service bus (ESB), and integrates standardized business service components. All are deployed in a service-oriented architecture and Web services framework. SA is being deployed on PJM's Advanced Control Center (AC2) system, where it integrates various business service components, including those within its energy management system (EMS) and market management system (MMS).

The platform also provides other essential system services such as activation orchestration, hardware and application monitoring, naming service, context and state management, and supporting services for other common integration design patterns.

Petar Ristanovic, chief technology officer of Siemens Energy, Inc.'s Power Distribution Energy Automation business unit, describes the main advantages of this new integration platform, "The Shared Architecture establishes a basis to significantly reduce overall cost of ownership of large, complex electric utility IT systems, it enables more options for innovation and increases flexibility in the evolution of existing systems," stated Ristanovic. "It provides a loosely coupled integration framework required for incremental parallel development and deployment of standard and custom business service components used in modern control centers."

"Benefiting from our combined experience and collaboration, the Shared Architecture platform offers industry users a design that can operate easily with other vendor tools, as well as provide an economical way of integrating other software products that provide and support reliability and market operations," said Suzanne Daugherty, vice president and executive sponsor of PJM's AC2 Program. "Being able to offer this kind of innovative flexibility was among our highest priorities in developing the platform for our AC2 Program because keeping the grid reliable and administrating a robust market are central to what we do."

Ristanovic and Daugherty highlight that this platform provides choices for customers in their technology plans and strategic roadmaps. Elements of complex EMS/MMS/DMS systems may be enhanced or replaced without disturbing the underlying standards-based system foundation. This feature will then result in decreasing system transitional risks and costs of modernization. This approach fosters component competition and invites broader-based innovation throughout the energy industry. "Siemens and PJM are seeking industry feedback and comments," added Daugherty. "The intent is to work with other interested industry participants to further advance integration platform technologies and industry standards."

Shared Architecture is the result of a joint investment by Siemens and PJM. The application programming interface for the SA is now available in the public domain on a free-to-use basis at www.energy.siemens.com/cms/us/US_Products/Portfolio/ControlCenterEnergyManagementSolutions/Pages/SpectrumPowerSharedArchitecture.aspx. The software binaries may be licensed through Siemens.

The Siemens Energy Sector is the world's leading supplier of a complete spectrum of products, services and solutions for the generation, transmission and distribution of power and for the extraction, conversion and transport of oil and gas. In fiscal 2008 (ended September 30), the Energy Sector had revenues of approximately EUR22.6 billion and received new orders totaling approximately EUR33.4 billion and posted a profit of EUR1.4 billion. On September 30, 2008, the Energy Sector had a work force of approximately 83,500. Further information is available at: http://www.siemens.com/energy.

PJM Interconnection ensures the reliability of the high-voltage electric power system serving 51 million people in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. PJM coordinates and directs the operation of the region's transmission grid, which includes 6,038 substations and 56,350 miles of transmission lines; administers a competitive wholesale electricity market; and plans regional transmission expansion improvements to maintain grid reliability and relieve congestion. Visit PJM at www.pjm.com.

SOURCE Siemens Energy

Web site: http://www.siemens.com/energy/

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