This International Standard defines the IEC 61850information models to be used in the exchange of information with distributed energy resources (DER), which comprise dispersed generation devices and dispersed storage devices, including reciprocating engines, fuel cells, microturbines, photovoltaics, combined heat and power, and energy storage.

The IEC 61850 DER information model standard utilizes existing IEC 61850‑7‑4 logical nodes where possible, but also defines DER-specific logical nodes where needed.