scope:

The scope of this document is the specification of the object models of DER information that can
be exchanged between DER devices and any systems which monitor, control, maintain, audit,
and generally operate the DER devices. An informative Annex A titled "Communications Systems
for Distributed Energy Resources (DER) - Informative Annex on DER Modeling" provides the
background, identification of DER functions that will use these normative DER object model
standards, and discussions as to how these object model standards will be used by different
types of DER devices.
Simply put, "object models" are standardized formats or templates for exchanging data between
different equipment or systems. Standard object models, combined with standard service models
(methods for sending the data, e.g. report-by-exception, periodic, control commands) and
standard protocols (the bits and bytes actually send over the communication channel), permit
different systems to interact with minimal customization and greater interoperability. The
combination of object model, service model, and protocol profiles can be termed the "information
model".
These DER information models are based on open-system language, semantics, services,
protocols, and architecture, which have been standardized by IEC 61850, but they include some
extensions to IEC 61850. The DER object models will eventually be provided to the IEC as a
draft set of object models for international standardization. In order to ensure the
standardization process is simplified, these DER information models are compatible with IEC
61850, IEC61970 (CIM), IEC60870-5 (telecontrol protocol, which also formed the base for DNP),
and IEC60870-6 (ICCP/TASE.2) standards.
The object models in this draft document are ready for trial use by vendors in order to provide
feedback and updates. However, it must be understood that these are still draft object models
and are subject to change.
Communications for DER plants involve not only local communications between DER units and
the plant management system, but also between the DER plant and the operators who manage
both the plant and the individual DER units. This is illustrated in Figure 1-1.