STATUS

‘CIRED’ is derived from Congrès International des Réseaux Electriques de Distribution, in English  International Conference on Electricity Distribution.

CIRED is set up as an international Association and since October 2004, it takes the legal form of de facto association (association de fait) under Belgian law. CIRED is established in Belgium.

CIRED is a ‘non-for-profit’ Association, indeed all costs in the operation of CIRED are covered by the individuals or companies who accept to undertake the tasks necessary to conduct CIRED’s activities.

Click here to download the status of CIRED Association.
 

HISTORY

The first CIRED Conference was in May 1971 organised by AIM - Association des Ingénieurs de Montefiore, Belgium, as the result of the interest shown in their previous conference held in Liège in 1969 on the same subject. Similarly, in the UK, the large amount of interest shown in conferences on electricity distribution held in Edinburgh by the UK Electrical Research Association (ERA) in 1967 and by the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) and ERA jointly in 1970 demonstrated the need for an international conference on this subject. In order to avoid a major overlap between the existing conferences, it was decided to hold a conference every two years, under the name of CIRED, alternately in Belgium and the United Kingdom.

The growing interest in CIRED activities and the increasingly important part of the exhibition have led the organizers to move outside from Belgium and the UK and to consider every two years changing venue in Europe.
 

PURPOSE

CIRED works for the purpose of increasing the business relevant competencies, skills and knowledge of those who see themselves as a part of the electricity  distribution community, whether they are from the utility, product, consultancy, service, business or Academic sector.
 

OBJECTIVES

CIRED is dedicated to the design, construction and operation of public distribution systems and of large installations using electrical energy in industry, services and transport.

CIRED covers

  • the whole field of Electricity Distribution Systems and associated services, including dispersed and embedded generation issues

  • the technical aspects of Electricity Supply

  • related aspects such as cost reduction,environment, organisation and skills

To support its objectives CIRED’s Technical Committee provides technical structure and content including papers and speakers to a biennial conference on developments and best practices in technology and management of electricity distribution.These conferences are open to participation by and contributions from experts from all over the world. The conferences which include an exhibition by manufacturing and other companies sup­plying the electricity distribution industry are organised alternately by AIM (Belgium) and IEE (UK) who also bear the financial responsibility of the conferences.

CIRED can undertake activities in working groups to support its objectives.

CIRED can in support of its objectives co-operate with other international organisations
 

STRUCTURE

Governing structure

CIRED’s governing structure consists of
 

  • The Directing Committee , DC
    which provides general governance for CIRED

  • The Advisory Committee, AC
    which prepares the meetings of the DC, and carries out tasks delegated to it by the DC

  • The Technical Committee, TC
    which governs technical activities in general, and provides technical structure and content to the biennial conferences
     

Supporting structure

CIRED’s supporting structure consists of
 

  • The National Committees, NC, and The Liaison Committees, LC,
    which are the links to local engagement in CIRED

  • Session Advisory Groups – SAG
    which advise the session chairmen in performing their tasks

  Officers

The Directing Committee elects CIRED’s officers. They are
 

  • Chairman of the DC, who is also chairman of the AC

  • Chairman of the TC

CIRED’s officers are elected at the regular annual meeting in odd years, for a two year period. Officers may be re-elected for a second two-year period, but the total length of service may not exceed four years.

CIRED officers may, but do not have to, be members of CIRED.

Present CIRED organisation: