System and method for assigning an identity to an intelligent electronic device

A method of managing an energy distribution system using an energy management architecture, the energy management architecture comprising a network, the method comprising:

• coupling an energy management device with at least a portion of the energy distribution system;
• coupling the energy management device with the network and allowing the energy management device to transmit outbound communications to the network and receive inbound communications from the network, the inbound communications comprising first energy management data and the outbound communications comprising second energy management data;
• storing, in a memory of the energy management device, a first private key, the first private key being related to a first public key such that data may be at least one of encrypted with the first public key, signed with the first private key, or combinations thereof, wherein data encrypted with the first public key may be decrypted only with the first private key and data signed with the first private key may be authenticated only with the first public key;
• and
• performing, by the energy management device, at least one energy management function on the at least the portion of the energy distribution network via the energy distribution system interface, processing the first energy management data and generating the second energy management data based on the at least one energy management function, and further decrypting, by the energy management device, the first energy management data using the first private key where the first energy management data has been encrypted with the first public key.

An energy management device for use in an energy management architecture for managing an energy distribution system, the energy management architecture comprising a network, the energy management device comprising:

• interface means for coupling the energy management device with at least a portion of the energy distribution system;
• interface means for coupling the energy management device with the network for transmitting outbound communications to the network and receiving inbound communications from the network, the inbound communications comprising first energy management data and the outbound communications comprising second energy management data;
• storage means for storing a first private key, the first private key being related to a first public key such that data may be at least one of encrypted with the first public key, signed with the first private key, or combinations thereof, wherein data encrypted with the first public key may be decrypted only with the first private key and data signed with the first private key may be authenticated only with the first public key;
• and
• processing means for performing at least one energy management function on the at least the portion of the energy distribution network via the energy distribution system interface, processing the first energy management data and generate the second energy management data based on the at least one energy management function, and decrypting the first energy management data using the first private key where the first energy management data has been encrypted with the first public key.