IPERC, a subsidiary of S&C Electric, has again won a significant Department of Defense (D0D) designation for its cybersecure military microgrid controller, this one at the Fort Carson Army Post in Colorado.
Known as the DoD Authorization to Operate (ATO), the designation indicates that IPERC’s GridMaster microgrid control system has passed rigorous security assessments at the military facility. The ATO authorizes full operation of the installation’s microgrid to support mission-critical buildings and assets.
IPERC led the design of controls, communications, and cybersecurity for this and other phases of the SPIDERS (Smart Power Infrastructure Demonstration for Energy Reliability and Security) program, a multi-phase military effort to demonstrate microgrid cybersecurity.
The ATO was based on the risk management framework standards for security requirements and risk assessment procedures, developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
This is the second ATO IPERC won for its microgrid controller. Last year the company received the authorization for its system at Marine Corps Base Camp Smith in Hawaii.
At Fort Carson, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center conducted the testing and evaluation of the GridMaster’s security posture for the base’s Department of Public Works. The assessment included technical and non-technical compliance with a wide variety of DoD and Army cybersecurity regulations
According to Darrell Massie, founder and CTO of IPERC, the company’s success in the military microgrid will help its business strategy to expand to other industries.
“We are now transferring these cybersecurity achievements to additional market segments, such as utilities and municipalities, and we are confident that GridMaster controlled microgrids will exceed operational objectives and security requirements for a wide range of facility types,” he said.
In addition to Fort Carson and Base Camp Smith, the company has designed and installed a multi-megawatt cybersecure microgrid at Fort Belvoir, VA as part of the military’s Environmental Security Technology Certification Program. That program provided funds for projects that demonstrated innovative technologies to improve environmental performance, reduce operational costs and enhance and sustain mission capabilities.
IPERC, a wholly owned subsidiary of S&C Electric, is a recognized leader in cybersecure, and intelligent microgrid controls for military, utility and commercial applications.
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