4.smart Grid Communication Technologies
4.smart Grid Communication Technologies
4.smart Grid Communication Technologies
Abstract
The smart grid is a new generation of standard power distribution grid. The communication in-
frastructure is critical for the successful operation of the modern smart grids. The use of commu-
nication technologies ensures the reduction of energy consumption, optimal operation of the
smart grid and coordination between all smart grids’ components from generation to the end us-
ers. This paper presents an overview of existing communication technologies such as ZigBee,
WLAN, cellular communication, WiMAX, Power Line Communication (PLC), their implementation
in smart grids, advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, the paper shows comparison of commu-
nication infrastructure between the legacy grid and the smart grid and smart grid communication
standards. The paper also presents research challenges and future trends in communication sys-
tems for smart grid application.
Keywords
Smart Grid, Communication Technologies, Research Challenges
1. Introduction
The legacy grid was built on a principle of unidirectional power flow from the main power plants (that use fossil
fuels such as coal, gas and nuclear materials) to the consumers, through the transmission and distribution net-
works. Due to the increasing electricity demand in the world and the global warming affect, there is a tendency
to replace fossil fuels by green renewable energy sources like solar and wind energy [1]-[3]. Furthermore, the
legacy grid suffers lack of automated analysis, slow response to quickly changing loading, limited control and
poor coordination between generated and consumed energy. This resulted in several major blackouts in the past
decades.
The smart grid is the next generation of the power distribution grid that aims to overcome the problems of the
legacy grid [4] [5]. Governments of many countries and companies are performing research on smart grid appli-
How to cite this paper: Baimel, D., Tapuchi, S. and Baimel, N. (2016) Smart Grid Communication Technologies. Journal of
Power and Energy Engineering, 4, 1-8. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/jpee.2016.48001
D. Baimel et al.
cations.
Many technologies that are used in the smart grid are already implemented in other areas of industry such as
sensors and wireless networks.
The smart grid uses two-way communications, digital technologies, advanced sensing and computing infra-
structure and software abilities in order to provide improved monitoring, protection and optimization of all grids’
components including generation, transmission, distribution and consumers.
The smart grid reduces greenhouse gas emissions by application of advanced and controlled large scale inte-
gration of renewable energy sources. This large scale integration requires application of advanced distributed
control algorithms in order to avoid an unexpected frequency and voltage fluctuations [6]-[8].
By using energy storage systems [9], communication between the grid and customers and advanced algo-
rithms for forecasting generation and loading of the grid [10]-[12], the smart grid ensures full coordination be-
tween the generated and consumed energy. This reduces energy losses of the grid, peak demand and energy
costs.
Two way communications allows energy consumers to receive accurate real-time prices and bills. The grid
operator can receive consumers’ real time information about the amount of the consumed energy.
The reliable real-time information flow between all grids’ components is essential for smart grid’s successful
operation. This can be implemented by a reliable and effective communication infrastructure which can be wired
or wireless. The advantages of the wireless infrastructure compared to the wired infrastructure are low costs and
simple connection to distant and unreachable areas. The disadvantages are interference with other signals and
electromagnetic fields and dependence on batteries.
This paper is organized as follows: Section 2 shows comparison of communication infrastructure between the
legacy grid and the smart grid; Section 3 presents smart grid communication infrastructure; Section 4 shows
overview of communication technologies that can be used in smart grid; Section 5 shows smart grid communi-
cation standards; Section 6 presents research challenges, future trends in communication systems for smart grid
application; Section 7 presents the conclusions of the paper.
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computers, mobile and other devices over a network connection. In smart grid implementation, all smart home
devices that consume energy and smart meters can be connected to HAN. The devices data is acquired and
transmitted through HAN to the smart meters. HAN allows more efficient home energy management. HAN can
be implemented by ZigBee or Ethernet technologies.
NAN is deployed and operated within area of hundreds meters which is actually few urban buildings. Several
HANs can be connected to one NAN and they transmit data of energy consumed by each house to the NAN
network. The NAN network delivers this data to Local Data Centers for storage. This data storage is important
for charging the consumers and data analysis for energy generation-demand pattern recognition.
The NAN has up to 2 Kbps transmission data rate. The NAN can be implemented by PLC, Wi-Fi, and cellular
technologies.
WAN is deployed and operated within vast area of tens of kilometers and it consists of several NANs and
LDCs. Moreover, the communication of all smart grid’s components including operator control center, main and
renewable energy generation, transmission and distribution, is based on WAN. The WAN has very high trans-
mission data rate up to few Gbps. The WAN can be implemented by Ethernet networks, WiMAX, 3G/LTE and
micro-wave transmission.
4.1. ZigBee
ZigBee is based on an IEEE 802.15 standard. ZigBee is used in applications that require a low data rate, long
battery life, low cost and secure networking. Applications include wireless light switches, electrical meters with
in-home-displays, traffic management systems, and other consumer and industrial equipment that requires short-
range wireless transfer of data at relatively low rates. ZigBee allows connection of up to 60,000 devices to its
network.
ZigBee has a defined rate between 20 to 250 kbs, best suited for periodic or intermittent data or a single signal
transmission from a sensor or input device. The technology defined by the ZigBee specification is intended to be
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simpler and less expensive than other wireless personal area networks (WPANs), such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
ZigBee networks are secured by 128 bit symmetric encryption keys.
There is a “ZigBee Smart Energy” application that allows integration of smart meters into the ZigBee network
together with other devices [15]. By using this application, smart meters can collect information from the inte-
grated devices and control them. Moreover, the consumers can view their energy consumption in real-time. It
also allows better energy consumption and real-time dynamic pricing.
The advantages of ZigBee application in smart grid are low price, small size and it uses relatively small
bandwidth.
The disadvantages of the ZigBee are small battery that limits its lifetime, small memory, limited data rate and
low processing capability. Moreover, its operation in unlicensed frequency of 868 MHz and 2.4 GHz may have
interference with other Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Microwave signals.
4.2. WLAN
A wireless local area network (WLAN) links two or more devices using spread-spectrum or Orthogonal Fre-
quency Division Multiplexing OFDM [16] and usually providing a connection through an access point to the
wider Internet. This gives users the ability to move around within a local coverage area and still be connected to
the network. Most modern WLANs are based on IEEE 802.11 standards, marketed under the Wi-Fi brand name.
WLANs have become popular in the home due to ease of installation, and in commercial complexes offering
wireless access to their customers.
WLAN could be easily integrated into smart grid due to its vast deployment around the world. WLAN works
in 2.4 GHZ - 3.5 GHz frequencies.
The advantages of WLAN are low cost, vast deployment around the world, plug and play devices.
The major disadvantage of WLAN is high potential for interference with other devices that communicate on
the same frequencies.
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Furthermore, there can be interference of communication signals with high order harmonics produced by
non-linear loads that present in the grid such as rectifiers, inverters, etc. In order to overcome this problem, ad-
vanced active filters should be used.
In smart grid applications, the PLC is used in Neighborhood Area Network communication for connecting
between smart meters and Local Data Concentrator (LDC). However, the Wide Area Network communication,
from LDC to other smart grid components such as operator control center, generation, transmission and distribu-
tion, is performed through cellular networks.
The advantage of the PLC is already established, wide-spread infrastructure that reduces installation costs.
The disadvantages are presence of higher harmonics in the power lines that interfere with communication sig-
nals and limited frequency of communication.
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5.5. PLC G3
PLC G3 supports high-speed, highly reliable IP-based communications across existing power lines, allowing
data and control messages to flow across the generation, transmission, and distribution systems that comprise a
regional Smart Grid. It was developed to provide robust connections between smart grid elements to allow the
application of advanced billing and demand management techniques to customer loads and to efficiently inte-
grate conventional and renewable-based distributed energy resources, including solar or wind farms.
6.1. Interference
As it was mentioned in section III, the basic layer of smart grid communication is Home Area Network. Usually,
HAN networks are densely deployed in the urban areas. This dense deployment can cause interference between
the HAN networks and result in transmission of unreliable signals from smart meters.
Additional problem is interference inside the HAN network. The future home will have dozens electrical de-
vices that will communicate to the main smart meter. This communication has a great potential to inter home
interference. These problems could be solved by developing algorithms that will eliminate/reduce this interfe-
rence.
There is also interference in the power lines caused by harmonics. This interference could be reduced by us-
ing active filters.
6.3. Standardization
It seems that in the future smart grid the communication system will be composed from different communication
technologies that will be combined together.
Although there are many standards for smart grid communication, there is no sufficient standard and model
for integration of different communication technologies in one system. Therefore, such standards should be de-
veloped.
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hackers or terrorists. The communication system becomes more vulnerable when it is not fully dedicated to the
smart grid communication and shared with other user, e.g. WLAN or cellular network.
The data transmitted in smart grid can be divided into three major groups:
• Measured parameters from smart meters that transmitted to the LDC and to the operator center. By inter-
cepting this data, the hackers can distort the information about the amount of energy consumed by the cus-
tomers distort billing system and cause economic damage to the electrical company.
• Measured parameters that transmitted to the operator center from smart devices such as switches, transfor-
mers, Flexible AC Transmission (FACT) devices, generators, turbines, etc. By intercepting and replacing
these signals, hackers can provide wrong information about the equipment and system state and as a result,
to cause operator center to make wrong decisions and actions.
• Control signals from the operator center that transmitted to smart devices that were mentioned earlier. By
intercepting and replacing these signals, hackers can cause damage to equipment, loose of control of the op-
erator center and major blackouts.
In order to avoid this, the cyber protection has to be applied in both physical and software level. At the physi-
cal level, the smart meters and LDCs have to be physically secured to prevent unauthorized access. At the soft-
ware level, new advanced encryption algorithms has to be developed and applied.
7. Conclusions
The future smart grid is based on combination of legacy grid with advanced smart metering, remote sensing,
remote control of all key components and equipment. The success of the smart grid depends directly on reliable,
robust and secure communication system with high data rate capability.
This paper presented comparison between legacy and future smart grid communication system and an over-
view of existing communication infrastructure and technologies that can be used for smart grid. The paper also
outlined the problems of these technologies and the research challenges that aim to solve these problems.
Future work should concentrate on development of improved security algorithms that could be adapted for the
smart grid communication and protocols and methods for interference reduction and elimination.
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