Kansas City Power & Light Partners With Siemens for Smart Grid Demonstration Project

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L) has selected Siemens to implement Smart Grid technology innovations to demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of a comprehensive Smart Grid solution. The project includes the Siemens Smart-Substation™ controller, which enables intelligent substations, and the Siemens Spectrum Power™ Distribution Management System (DMS), which facilitates operations information management and security.

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The KCP&L Smart Grid demonstration is part of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act's (ARRA) Smart Grid Demonstration Project program. It will apply the latest advances in energy technology focused around intelligent substations to help monitor and manage energy delivery, integrate renewable energy sources and enable consumers to actively manage their energy usage. The project covers the Green Impact Zone (GIZ) of the Missouri initiative and surrounding neighborhoods. The GIZ (www.greenimpactzone.org) is designed to reinvigorate an urban area of Kansas City, Missouri.

This key demonstration project encompasses the pertinent aspects of a Smart Grid. It includes four major components: distribution network management, distribution network automation, distributed energy resource and demand response management. It will utilize an advanced two-way metering infrastructure, meter data management, demonstration of time-of-use pricing and state-of-the-art customer end-use tools. In addition, hybrid electric vehicle charging, utility-scale battery storage and roof-top solar technology will provide the basis for enabling and managing renewable and sustainable energy resources within the project area. The project represents a substantial step forward in establishing interoperable end-to-end Smart Grid solutions based on existing and proposed National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards.

"The demonstration project will define, validate and verify the value proposition and potential solution adjustments for KCP&L," said Mike Deggendorf, KCP&L senior vice president of Delivery. "This will serve as the foundation to plan and study the possibility of broader implementation of Smart Grid technology."

The project includes the Siemens Smart-Substation™ controller that provides an intelligent substation information technology platform to enable real-time substation and feeder automation, Volt/VAr control and demand management. The controller will integrate a variety of feeder devices from multiple vendors using the international substation standard IEC 61850 to provide improved data availability, increased flexibility and interoperability.

The Siemens Spectrum Power™ Distribution Management System (DMS) will facilitate operations information management and security, in real-time, coordinating control center supervision with smart substation and feeder automation. The DMS will be integrated with a number of KCP&L's existing and planned systems, including geographic information systems (GIS), meter data management system (MDMS), distributed energy resource management (DERM) and others.

"Siemens is proud to work with KCP&L to break new ground in the evaluation and adoption of Smart Grid technologies. This benchmark project offers a vast potential in understanding value and benefits essential to promoting efficient energy distribution," said Thierry Godart, vice president and general manager of Siemens Energy, Inc.'s Energy Automation business in North America. "Technologies installed in the system will build a solid framework and prepare the grid to support expansion of consumer options. This includes high impact renewable energy options, charging stations for electric vehicles, home energy management and other possibilities."

Siemens understands the complete energy conversion chain and is able to transform today's grid into a living infrastructure that is smart enough to respond quickly, flexibly and comprehensively to society's energy needs. Siemens also incorporates solutions for commercial and industrial applications as well as smart homes, including building automation, IT systems integration, advanced lighting technology and energy efficient appliances for a comprehensive Smart Grid solution.

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 2010 (ended September 30), the Energy Sector had revenues of approximately EUR25.5 billion and received new orders totaling more than EUR30.1 billion and posted a profit of more than EUR3.6 billion. On September 30, 2010, the Energy Sector had a work force of more than 88,000. Further information is available at: www.siemens.com/energy.

About KCP&L

Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., Great Plains Energy Incorporated (NYSE: GXP) is the holding company of Kansas City Power & Light Company and KCP&L Greater Missouri Operations Company, two of the leading regulated providers of electricity in the Midwest. Kansas City Power & Light and KCP&L Greater Missouri Operations use KCP&L as a brand name. More information about the companies is available on the Internet at www.greatplainsenergy.com or www.kcpl.com.

SOURCE Siemens Energy, Inc.