BURLINGTON, MA--(Marketwire - Feb 9, 2012) - KEMA, a leading global authority in energy consulting, testing and certification, today announced the election of its director of grid applications, Mark Knight, to the GridWise Architecture Council (GWAC). Knight is one of two new professionals to join the 13-member volunteer council.
The GridWise Architecture Council was convened in 2004 by the U.S. Department of Energy with support from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. As a volunteer council, the GWAC includes practitioners and leaders with broad-based knowledge and expertise in power, information technology, telecommunications, financial systems, and other fields who are working together toward a coordinated GridWise vision -- the transformation of the nation's energy system into a rich, collaborative network filled with decision-making information exchange and market-based opportunities.
"I am honored to be selected as a member of the GWAC," Knight said. "I have enjoyed my interactions with GWAC and the productive work we have performed to date in developing the interoperability maturity model. I believe that the collaboration of the council members will lead to promising advancement in the smart grid industry."
As a next step to building a community sensitive to interoperability, the GWAC is developing a smart grid interoperability maturity model (SG IMM) based on work done by others to address similar circumstances. The objective is to create a tool or set of tools that encourages a culture of interoperability in this emerging community. The tool would measure status and progress, analyze gaps, and prioritize efforts to improve interoperability.
Kevin Sullivan, vice president, Management Operations and Consulting at KEMA, says that Knight will make an excellent addition to the GWAC. "Mark Knight serves as an integral asset to the many regional and global smart grid initiatives within KEMA. I am confident that his presence on the GWAC will produce great results for all parties involved."
As the director of grid applications at KEMA, Knight is currently the project manager for ISO New England's synchrophasor technology deployment Smart Grid Investment Grant project. With more than 25 years of experience, he helped develop the second generation of market settlement systems for the deregulated UK market, as well as metering systems in several jurisdictions. Knight holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Petroleum Engineering from Imperial College in London.
About KEMA
KEMA, which was founded in 1927, is an independent leading authority that is active worldwide in the energy value chain, and is specialized in high-grade service provision in the field of business and technical consultancy, operational support, measurement & inspections, and testing & certification. As an independent business, KEMA advises and supports government bodies as well as producers, suppliers and end-users of energy, and manufacturers of electricity transmission and distribution equipment. More than 1,800 professionals work at KEMA, which has branches and representatives in over 20 countries around the world. Follow KEMA: KEMA Utility of the Future blog; LinkedIn