BS EN IEC 61968-1:2020

What is BS EN IEC 61968‑1 about?  

BS EN IEC 61968 is a series on application integration at electric utilities. BS EN IEC 61968‑1 is the first in a series that, taken as a whole, defines interfaces for the major elements of an interface architecture for power system management and associated information exchange. 

BS EN IEC 61968‑1 identifies and establishes recommendations for standard interfaces based on an interface reference model (IRM). Subsequent clauses of BS EN IEC 61968‑1 are based on each interface identified in the Interface Reference Model.  

BS EN IEC 61968‑1 provides for interoperability among different computer systems, platforms, and languages. BS EN IEC 61968‑1 gives recommendations for methods and technologies to be used to implement functionality conforming to these interfaces. 

Who is BS EN IEC 61968‑1 for? 

BS EN IEC 61968‑1 on system interfaces for distribution management is useful for: 

• Hardware engineers 
• Administrative departments 
• Information exchange sectors 
• Telecommunication companies 
• IT sectors 

Why should you use BS EN IEC 61968‑1?  

The main function of a distribution management system is optimizing resources and managing demands and maintaining proper workflow. System interfaces as discussed in BS EN IEC 61968‑1 defines distribution management that consists of various distributed application components for the utility to manage electrical distribution networks. 

Capabilities of distribution management include monitoring and control of equipment for power delivery, management processes to ensure system reliability, voltage management, demand-side management, outage management, work management, network model management, facilities management, and metering. 

The interface reference model specified in BS EN IEC 61968‑1 defines the high-level view of the TC 57 reference architecture and the details in the relevant 61968 series, 61970 series or 62325 series. The goal of the interface reference model is to provide a common relevant context view for TC 57 that covers domains like transmission, distribution, market, generation, consumer, regional reliability operators, and regulators. 

Using BS EN IEC 61968‑1, the aim of intra-application integration at programs in the same application system, usually communicating with each other using middleware that is embedded in their underlying runtime environment can be accomplished. 

What’s changed since the last update?  

BS EN IEC 61968‑1:2020 supersedes BS EN 61968‑1:2013. BS EN IEC 61968‑1:2020 includes some technical changes with respect to BS EN 61968‑1:2013. These include: 

• Update of IRM section, which has been out of date since the 2nd edition 
• Update to IRM model using ArchiMate modelling language 
• Addition of missing business functions and business objects 
• Alignment with newly released documents from the technical committee 
• Alignment with IEC 61968-100