News Releases

LONDON, July 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The IEC 61850 Global 2020 will take place as scheduled on 26-30 October 2020, on the Swapcard virtual event platform. In recognition of the importance of information sharing to keep up the momentum of smart grid deployment, the organisers have decided to proceed as planned and deliver the same high-quality information via a virtual format at this challenging time for business travel.

"Who knows when company travel restrictions will be fully lifted," says Mandana White, CEO of Smart Grid Forums, organisers of IEC 61850 Global 2020. "But whilst the world looks uncertain right now, we can bring our own certainty to the table, by changing the way that we provide information to our customers, so that there is no loss of momentum in driving the smart grid forward. The IEC 61850 community have made tremendous deployment progress over the past few years, it would be a shame to break that momentum now. If anything, Covid-19 is accentuating the need for grid operators to fully automate and remotely manage their grids. Our role is to facilitate the conversations that need to be had in order to stimulate new ideas and new thinking and help grid operators speed up the deployment of their smart grids, and we intend to continue doing that in whichever format is most appropriate at any given time."

This year's 5-day programme provides a truly global exploration of IEC 61850 deployments in a wide range of grid scenarios. With 22+ utility case studies from Europe, USA, Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Australia, this is the perfect opportunity for participants to build the breadth and depth of insights they need to fuel their IEC 61850 activities in the year ahead.

Whether they are at the start of their IEC 61850 exploration, have implemented on a large-scale, or are in the process of planning the next wave of their upgrades, participants will benefit enormously from the peer-to-peer advice, display of the latest tools and technologies, and exploration of brand new partnerships and alliances, that will compound their efforts and propel their IEC 61850 projects to the next level.

Event highlights include:

• 22+ Utility Case Studies - hearing from the most forward-looking utility IEC 61850 implementation leaders and specialists on the lessons learnt from practical deployments of the standard across the smart grid globally
• Fundamentals Workshop - getting up to speed with the latest standardisation developments and understanding the essential building blocks of this complex and evolving standard through this practical hands-on workshop delivered by Christoph Brunner, Convenor of TC57 WG10
• DER Integration Seminar - getting all the insights and foresights you need into the optimal application of IEC 61850 in the DER domain to help extend your deployment beyond the substation in the most timely and cost-effective manner
• End-User Roundtables - the perfect opportunity to have your real-life questions addressed by brainstorming and problem solving through this series of intimate roundtable discussions with access to representatives of the entire IEC 61850 ecosystem
• Tech Innovation Panels - the chance to hear the product development plans of the key technology suppliers, have your most challenging questions answered, and influence the direction of future product development in favour of end-user needs
• Solution Zone - running alongside the main 3-day conference, this is a unique opportunity to visit key suppliers of IEC 61850-enabled products and services, access their technical representatives, and get tailored advice that is the perfect fit for your grid scenario
• Live Demo Labs - an opportunity to participate in a series of private 1:1 meetings running alongside the conference breaks, providing you with hands-on experience of the most advanced and forward-looking IEC 61850 solutions on the market

Speakers Include:

• Christoph Brunner, President of it4power & Convenor - IEC TC57 WG10
• Alex Apostolov, Editor in Chief – PacWorld
• Frances Cleveland, President of Xanthus Consulting International & Convenor - IEC TC57 WG15
• Nicholas Etherden, Senior R&D Engineer at Vattenfall & Convenor - TC88 JWG25
• Martin Greenwood, Technologist Secondary Systems – TenneT
• David MacDonald, System Monitoring Lead Engineer – Iberdrola
• Davide Della Giustina, Head of Smart Grids Project Department – Unareti
• Giuseppe Rigadello, Senior Automation Expert – Enel
• Birkir Heimisson, Project Manager for Smart-Grid Development – Landsnet
• Rajil Srivastava, Senior General Manager - Power Grid Corporation of India
• Thabo Sithole, Control Plant Maintenance Manager – Eskom
• Pablo Humeres Flores, Head of Digital Supervision and Automation – Eletrosul
• Tahir Saleem, Operational Technology Cyber Security (ICS/SCADA) – DEWA
• Laurent Guise, Standardisation Director - Schneider Electric
• Peter Crossley, Professor and Director of EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Power Networks - University of Manchester

Testimonials from Past Editions of IEC 61850 Global:

"The event is extremely well organised, and the quality of presenters, presentations, and topics is the best that I have ever been involved in. Very well done and thank you."

Tuan Vu, Senior Digital & Asset Strategies Engineer – Powerlink Queensland

"Excellent opportunity to exchange ideas relating to the latest developments concerning substation automation and DER modelling."

Jan Voltman, Consultant – Alliander

"An excellent opportunity to look beyond your own experiences and see how other people are presenting solutions to shared problems."

Julio E. Dominguez, SAS Designer – UFD

Virtual Solution Zone:

Suppliers to the IEC 61850 community are invited to join the virtual sponsor area where they will be able to raise their brand profile, demonstrate their products and services, and share their expertise with a highly concentrated and influential group of utility IEC 61850 implementation leaders and decision makers. Capped at 20 sponsors, we ensure a focused and relevant display of the latest tools, technologies and services for our audience and maximum visibility for each sponsor.

Event Dates and Location:

Conference: 26-30 October 2020
Location: Swapcard Virtual Platform
Event Website: https://www.smartgrid-forums.com/forums/iec-61850-global

For more information, interviews and media accreditation:

Mandana White
CEO - Smart Grid Forums
Tel: +44-(0)20-8057-1700
Email: mandana.white@smartgrid-forums.com

Smart Grid Forums is an independent conference producer specialised in the Energy sector.  We work hand in hand with engineering professionals to create innovative event concepts and high-quality programmes that inform technical decision makers and enable them to deliver exceptional results.

Our approach is entirely market led. We stay exceptionally close to industry developments. Through our regular, rigorous and unbiased process of depth research with TSOs, DSOs, power generators, engineering consultancies, and technology innovators, we stay one step ahead of industry developments and provide live event platforms that act as a catalyst for new ideas, new directions, and new approaches to achieving future energy security.

SOURCE Smart Grid Forums