ISGAN – International Smart Grid Action Network

Goal
ISGAN’s objective is to accelerate the development and deployment of smarter, cleaner and more flexible electricity grids around the world. Smart grids enable increased demand response and energy efficiency.
ISGAN leverages high-level government leadership and industry technology innovation to support greater national ambition in developing and deploying smart grids in ISGAN member country markets and regions.
Overview

The International Smart Grid Action Network (ISGAN) is an international platform for the development and exchange of knowledge and expertise on smarter, cleaner, and more flexible and resilient electricity grids (“Smart Grids”). ISGAN provides an important channel for the communication of experience, trends, lessons learned, and visions in support
of global, national and regional clean energy objectives as well as new flexible and resilient solutions for Smart Grids.
ISGAN is a joint CEM Initiative and IEA Technology Collaboration Programme (TCP) established in 2011. ISGAN is supported by a co-secretariat at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology and the Korea Smart Grid Institute (KSGI). ISGAN also have an executive committee. For more background on ISGAN’s structure visit here.
9th Annual ISGAN Awards of Excellence
ISGAN announced its 9th Annual Awards of Excellence, recognising global examples of smart grid projects and approaches. This year’s competition focused on “Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for Smart Grids”, showcasing important new systems for grid modernisation, reliable system operation and clean energy integration. The winners were selected by an expert jury organised by ISGAN’s long-standing partner, the Global Smart Energy Federation. The winning project was FleXunity – Scaling-up Power Flexible Communities Business Models Empowered by Blockchain and AI Project, led by Cleanwatts (Portugal). ISGAN also awarded one runner-up, Enedis, and two honourable mentions, IntelliSmart Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. and Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO).

Working Groups
Activities
- ISGAN Awards of Excellence
- Knowledge Transfer Platform
- Smart Grid International Research Facility Network (SIRFN)
- ISGAN Academy
- Smart Grid Transitions
ISGAN Awards of Excellence
Goal
The CEM Award for outstanding achievement in smart grid innovation—the ISGAN Award of Excellence—showcases leadership and innovation in smart grid projects around the world. Projects receiving this prestigious award serve as global exemplars of the value that smarter, cleaner electric grids can offer. Thus, the Award of Excellence helps promote proven smart grid concepts.
Additional Information
ISGAN launched its annual Award of Excellence Competition in partnership with the Global Smart Grid Federation (GSGF) to showcase leadership and innovation in smart grid projects around the world. More than 40 projects were recognized for their excellence in innovation, integration and transformation of smart grid systems.
for more information: https://www.iea-isgan.org/awards/
8th ISGAN Award of Excellence (2022) focused on “EV Integration with Smart Grid’’ and ‘’Smart Grid Workforce Development for an Inclusive Energy Transition’’ in partnership with the Empowering People Initiative.
- Smart Grid Workforce Development for an Inclusive Energy Transition
- Winner: India Smart Grid Forum, India
- EV Integration in Smart Grid
- Winner: Stedin Netbeheer B.V., The Netherlands
7th ISGAN Award of Excellence (2021) focused on ‘’Future-Proofing the Grid Operation via Advanced Digitalization & IoT’’
- Winner: Smart Energy Project, Canada
- Runner-up: EU-Sysflex German Demonstration
6th ISGAN Award of Excellence (2020) focused on ‘’Digitalization Enabling Consumer Empowerment’’
- Winner: Smart Grids and Smart Communities Demonstration Project, Slovenia
- Runner-up: Future Flow, Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, Romania
5th ISGAN Award of Excellence (2019) focused on ‘’Excellence in Smart Grids for Local Integrated Energy System [Smart Microgrids]
- Winner: Open Microgrid Project, Korea
- Runner-up: Rural Intelligent Grid [RIGID], Poland
4th ISGAN Award of Excellence (2018) focused on ‘’ Smart Grids for Flexibility’’
- Winner: Coordinating Power Control, Sweden
- Runner-up: Smart Grid Deployment Project, Korea
3rd ISGAN Award of Excellence (2016) focused on ‘’ Smart Grids for Reliable Electricity Service’’
- Winner: CenterPoint Energy Smart Grid, United States
2nd ISGAN Award of Excellence (2015) focused on ‘’ Smart Grids for Renewable Energy Integration’’
- Winner: GRID4EU – Large-scale Demonstration of European Smart Distribution Networks, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, France
- Winner: EirGrid’s DS3- Delivering a Secure, Sustainable Electricity System, Ireland
- Winner: Smart Grid Station of Korea Electric Power Corporation, Korea
1st ISGAN Award of Excellence (2014) focused on ‘’Consumer Engagement & Empowerment’’
- SmartView AMI Pilot Entergy, United States
- Runner-up: EcoGrid: Consumer Engagement Ostkraft, Denmark
Learn more and stay up to date by visiting the ISGAN website.
How to join?
Stay up to date on Awards deadlines and announcements
Have a question? Isgan-awards@smartgrid.or.kr
Knowledge Transfer Platform
Goal
The International Smart Grid Action Network (ISGAN) launched the Knowledge Transfer Platform (KTP) in 2016 to efficiently capture, collect, and share knowledge about smart grid solutions among countries and key stakeholders. The KTP offers a structured method for knowledge sharing, learning and co-creation of new solutions to joint challenges, focused on developing competence and building capacity.
Participants
This work is led by Korea and supported by the Korea Smart Grid Institute
Additional Information
How to Join?
Smart Grid International Research Facility Network (SIRFN)
Goal
The Smart Grid International Research Facility Network (SIRFN) is a network of smart grid researchers with test-bed facilities in countries participating in the Implementing Agreement for a Cooperative Programme on Smart Grids (ISGAN).
ISGAN-SIRFN’s collaborative testing and evaluation capabilities are meant to be leveraged by the international community to enable improved design, implementation, and testing of smart grids and their functionalities, including the reliable integration of clean energy technologies.
The work is carried out by a global network of experts and is managed in four Focus Areas:
- Development of Interoperable DER Certification Protocols
- Microgrid Testing
- Power System Testing
- Advance Laboratory Testing Methods
Participants
This work is led by Germany and the United States.
Additional Information
Focus Area 1
factsheet
Focus area 2
factsheet
Focus area 3
factsheet
Focus area 4
factsheet
Learn more and view publications and presentations related to this work
How to Join?
ISGAN Academy
Goal
The objective of the ISGAN Academy is to offer the ISGAN community of high-level engineers, decision makers, students and public in general a means of rational and efficient continuous technical skills complement and updates in the field of smart grids.
Participants
This work is led by Spain.
Additional Information
The Academy presents updated information about new emerging topics and challenges, recent developments, best practices, novel methodologies, smart grids theory, applications, deployments and events of ISGAN activities.
Registrations of previous webinars include people from more than 150 countries.
How to Join?
Smart Grid Transitions
Goal
The main objective of Smart Grid Transitions is to investigate institutional change associated with Smart Grid deployment. This work aims to create an international, coordinated trans-disciplinary research activity to support complementing technology oriented at smart grid activities.
Participants
This work is led by Austria.
Additional Information
2019 Smart Grid Discourse Arena: A global social network analysis