A Survey on Smart Grid Communication Infrastructures: Motivations, Requirements and Challenges
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paper_title: Performance analysis of low earth orbit satellites for power system communication

paper_content:

In this paper the main performances of communication services based on low earth orbit satellites (LEOs) have been analyzed in order to evaluate their suitability for a typical set of power system monitoring functionalities. As an experimental test bed, an intelligent electronic device (IED) for remote monitoring and protection of power components equipped with a bi-directional communication system based on the LEO satellites of the Globalstar® consortium has been prototyped. Thanks to the adoption of this facility the main parameters characterizing the performance of the satellite TCP/IP services have been evaluated. They comprise in particular the connection time, the degradation of service and data latency for both packet and asynchronous data services. The experimental results obtained show that the application of LEO satellites based communication technologies exhibits a set of intrinsic advantages that could be particularly useful in several fields of power system communication.
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paper_title: Demand Response as a Market Resource Under the Smart Grid Paradigm

paper_content:

Demand response (DR), distributed generation (DG), and distributed energy storage (DES) are important ingredients of the emerging smart grid paradigm. For ease of reference we refer to these resources collectively as distributed energy resources (DER). Although much of the DER emerging under smart grid are targeted at the distribution level, DER, and more specifically DR resources, are considered important elements for reliable and economic operation of the transmission system and the wholesale markets. In fact, viewed from transmission and wholesale operations, sometimes the term ?virtual power plant? is used to refer to these resources. In the context of energy and ancillary service markets facilitated by the independent system operators (ISOs)/regional transmission organizations (RTOs), the market products DER/DR can offer may include energy, ancillary services, and/or capacity, depending on the ISO/RTO market design and applicable operational standards. In this paper we first explore the main industry drivers of smart grid and the different facets of DER under the smart grid paradigm. We then concentrate on DR and summarize the existing and evolving programs at different ISOs/RTOs and the product markets they can participate in. We conclude by addressing some of the challenges and potential solutions for implementation of DR under smart grid and market paradigms.
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paper_title: Cognitive Radio for Smart Grid Communications

paper_content:

One of the key foundations of smart grid (SG) is a reliable communications infrastructure which is a sophisticated, multi-layer network carrying different classes of data. SG communications needs to be designed to accommodate the current energy management requirements as well as the potential demand of future applications. In this paper, we propose the application of cognitive radio (CR) based on the IEEE 802.22 standard in the SG wide area networks (WANs). We discuss the benefits of the proposed scheme including opportunistic access of TV bands, extended coverage, ease of upgradability, self-healing and fault-tolerant design. The proposed scheme can work as a secondary radio particularly in urban areas and as a backup in disaster management. In rural areas, however, a stand-alone radio based on IEEE 802.22 can effectively provide broadband access because of the wide area coverage due to the good propagation characteristics of TV bands.
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paper_title: Connecting low-power and lossy networks to the internet

paper_content:

Many applications, ranging from wireless healthcare to energy metering on the smart grid, have emerged from a decade of research in wireless sensor networks. However, the lack of an IP-based network architecture precluded sensor networks from interoperating with the Internet, limiting their real-world impact. Given this disconnect, the IETF chartered the 6LoWPAN and RoLL working groups to specify standards at various layers of the protocol stack with the goal of connecting low-power and lossy networks to the Internet. We present the standards proposed by these working groups, and describe how the research community actively participates in this process by influencing their design and providing open source implementations.
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paper_title: Satellite based communication network for large scale power system applications

paper_content:

With the advent of modern day satellite technology, the electric utility industry is exploring opportunities to expand applications that can be served from space-based platforms. Traditionally, in the electric power industry the use of satellite-based technology is seen in many aspects of wide-area management -- weather satellites are used to provide information on demand and to thus, lower the probability of blackouts or brownouts; GPS satellites are used for system control by providing synchronized measurements; and Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites are being investigated for communication of the power system measurements with the desire to improve reliability and provide global coverage with low data latency. These LEO satellites are typically 500 -1500 km above the Earth's surface. The integration of satellite technology into power system operations is emerging now due not only to the large coverage area available from space, improvements in satellite reliability, and lower data-latency, but also the advent of lower cost small satellite buses. Today, satellite applications for power systems are an active area of research in such areas as wide area measurement, control, and communication.
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paper_title: Application of Power Line Communication for Data Transmission Over PWM Network

paper_content:

In industrial applications, a feedback loop is used in order to transmit control and diagnostic informations from the motor back to the inverter. The implementation of such feedback loop requires the use of extra cabling between both sides and that may have length exceeding few hundred meters. In this paper, the motor feeder cable is used for data transmission instead of the separated extra cable by using the power line communication (PLC) technology. However, beside the fact that feeder cables are not designed for data transmission, they are also polluted by the inverter's outcome. Therefore, PLC modems developed for domestic applications may not be suitable. The aim of this study is to underline the possibility of communicating in such an environment. Limitations and difficulties that obstruct transmission are revealed. Also, possible solutions are discussed such as the use of a pulsewidth modulation filter in mean to overcome those limitations.
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paper_title: Transmission Characteristics of Low-Voltage Distribution Networks in China Under the Smart Grids Environment

paper_content:

With the decision to construct the smart grids around China, the power line communications (PLC) on the low-voltage (LV) distribution networks have become one of the potential technologies to commute the information between the end users and the power provider. In order to provide communications services with different priorities under the smart grids environment, it is a must to design a completely new PLC system with variable information rate, which means understanding of the LV PLC channel characteristics become vital. This paper presents the measurement results of channel properties of LV PLC systems after giving a general overview of the topologies for the typical LV distribution networks in China. The testing results show that the main reason influencing the reliable communication of high-speed data of power line is the attenuation of the high-frequency signal, which exhibits more obviously in the branch of power line. It is almost impossible to use the frequency range from 10 to 20 MHz for the reliable communications from distribution transformer to end user, so it must be solved with the aid of such means as the repeater and the modulation schemes. Considering the signal's attenuation, the lower frequency range from 2 to 10 MHz is more suitable for the high-speed data access system. Based on the general topologies of the LV distribution networks, a new method with the help of the reflection matrix based on the multiconductor transmission line theory is proposed to model the channel transfer functions, taking into account of the source inner impedance matrix. The simulation results fit the measured data quite well and verify the feasibility of the proposed modeling scheme.
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paper_title: High-speed narrowband PLC in Smart Grid landscape — State-of-the-art

paper_content:

The prospect of Smart Grid (SG) is becoming a reality in the recent years, covering different areas like smart metering, demand side management, or distributed generation. Communications play a central role in the SG architecture, because the power utilities need to collect important information to make optimal decisions for efficient power generation, transmission and distribution. This paper discusses the state-of-the-art of narrow-band high-speed power line communications (PLC) - a promising communication platform for SG which offers advantages in coverage, costs and availability. Further, the paper presents an overview of DLC+VIT4IP (Distribution Line Carrier: Verification, Integration and Test of PLC Technologies and IP Communication for Utilities) a EU funded project under the 7th Framework Programme (FP7) that aims to extend the existing PLC technologies by developing efficient transport of IPv6 protocol, automatic measurement, configuration and management, and security. In addition, the project is exploiting frequency ranges up to 500 kHz, to support systems serving larger smart grid applications.
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paper_title: Evolution of powerline communications for smart distribution: From ripple control to OFDM

paper_content:

This paper describes the evolution of powerline communications for the control of power distribution grids. First generation ripple control systems provide one-way communication, with which centralized load control and peak shaving have been performed for many years. The European standards body CENELEC restricted the use of frequencies between 3 kHz and 95 kHz for two-way communications for electricity distributor use. A number of second generation PLC systems with low data rates were proposed in the 1990's, and Automatic Meter Reading systems have been deployed based on this technology. Third generation systems based on OFDM with much higher data rates are currently being developed and deployed for Smart Grids, Distribution Automation and Advanced Metering Management.
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paper_title: Surround control of distributed energy resources in micro-grids

paper_content:

Smart micro-grids offer a new and wide application domain for power electronics. In fact, every distributed energy resource (DER) includes an electronic power processor (EPP) to control the power exchange with the grid. If such distributed EPPs perform cooperatively, they have the capability to fully exploit all renewable power sources and energy storage units while improving the power quality and transmission efficiency. In fact, EPPs control phase and shape of the currents injected into the grid, thus they can provide, in addition to dynamic control of the power flow between DERs and grid, also voltage stabilization and harmonic damping. This is of particular relevance in low-voltage residential micro-grids, where number of active DERs and generated power are unpredictable and may vary during the daytime. A simple and effective solution to achieve cooperative operation of EPPs is described in the paper. It is based on a control approach which requires communication between neighbor units only (surround control) and holds even in presence of multiple feeding points from the utility. Moreover, it allows independent and stable operation of the EPPs while providing voltage support and reduction of distribution losses. Accordingly, residential micro-grids may perform efficiently, adapt to supply and load variations and switch automatically from grid-connected to islanded operation.
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paper_title: Domestic micro-generation: economic, regulatory and policy issues for the UK

paper_content:

Micro-generation in individual homes has been the subject of increasing policy and industry attention in recent years. Whilst it has been estimated that micro-generation could meet 30-40% of UK electricity demand by 2050, deployment to date has been slow. In its Micro-generation Strategy the UK government has started to outline how deployment could be increased. Various technical, economic, behavioural and institutional changes are needed to establish a UK market for micro-generation. This article discusses how different deployment models for domestic micro-generation might attract investments in these technologies. It considers not only investments by individual households but also by energy companies. Starting from an economic analysis of payback times for three different technologies (micro-CHP, micro-wind and solar PV) it identifies policy and regulatory recommendations. It argues for technology-specific support policies in the short term. It also suggests that a 'level playing field' for micro-generation technologies as a result of fiscal and market reforms could considerably increase the attractiveness of micro-generation technologies.
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paper_title: Facilitating a Generic Communication Interface to Distributed Energy Resources: Mapping IEC 61850 to RESTful Services

paper_content:

As the power system evolves into a smarter and more flexible state, so must the communication technologies that support it. A key requirement for facilitating the distributed production of future grids is that communication and information are standardized to ensure interoperability. The IEC 61850 standard, which was originally aimed at substation automation, has been expanded to cover the monitoring and control of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). By having a consistent and well- defined data model the standard enables a DER aggregator, such as a Virtual Power Plant (VPP), in communicating with a broad array of DERs. If the data model of IEC 61850 is combined with a set of contemporary web protocols, it can result in a major shift in how DERs can be accessed and coordinated. This paper describes how IEC 61850 can benefit from the REpresentational State Transfer (REST) service concept and how a server using these technologies can be used to interface with DERs as diverse as Electric Vehicles (EVs) and micro Combined Heat and Power (µCHP) units.
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paper_title: Improving power quality and distribution efficiency in micro-grids by cooperative control of Switching Power Interfaces

paper_content:

Smart grids offer a wide application domain for power electronics. In fact, every distributed energy resource (DER) includes an electronic power processor (Switching Power Interface, SPI) which controls the currents drawn from the grid and can be driven to optimize the power flow, improve voltage stability and increase distribution efficiency. For these aims, such distributed SPIs must perform cooperatively. This is true also in low-voltage residential micro-grids, where the number of active DERs and the generated power may vary during daytime, thus requiring dynamic adaptation of SPI operation. To achieve this goal different approaches can be adopted, depending on the available communication capability. This paper discusses various control solutions applicable in absence of supervisory control, e.g., in residential micro-grids, where communication is possible between neighbor units only (surround control) or is not available at all (plug & play control).
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paper_title: Integrating micro-generation into distribution systems — a review of recent research

paper_content:

Micro-generation in its various forms, photovoltaics, micro-wind and micro-CHP to name the primary technologies, is steadily gaining market share and is growing in popularity with energy policy makers. Most installations are connected to existing rather than purpose designed distribution systems, and this is likely to continue for some time. Given that existing networks were not designed with such distributed generation in mind, a series of related problems can be caused by these new sources of generation, in particular local voltage rise and the potential to exceed thermal limits of the certain lines and transformers. Distribution network operators (DNOs) have legitimate concerns regarding these issues and also the efficacy of the existing protection arrangements. There are of course also potential benefits. Enthusiasts for micro- generation point to a reduction in CO2 emissions, a reduction in distribution losses and increased security of supply amongst others. Research has been underway in recent years to quantify both the problems and the benefits associated with micro-generation, and to determine limits to their penetration into existing networks. Moreover, new approaches to system design and operation are immerging. Research developments and progress with the installation of micro generation in the UK will be used to highlight the key issues. The perceived technical, commercial and regulatory barriers to uptake of micro generation are also discussed alongside current connection codes and requirements.
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paper_title: Increasing photovoltaics grid penetration in urban areas through active distribution systems: First large scale demonstration

paper_content:

MetaPV is the first project world-wide that will demonstrate the provision of electrical benefits from photovoltaics (PV) on a large scale, showing the way toward cities powered by renewable energy sources. Additional benefits for active grid support from PV will be demonstrated at two sites: a residential/urban area of 128 households with 4 kWp each, and an industrial zone of 31 PV systems with 200 kWp each in Limburg, Belgium. The project is demonstrating enhanced control capacities implemented into PV inverters, including active voltage control, low-voltage ride-through capability, autonomous grid operation, and interaction of distribution system control with PV systems. A detailed technical and financial assessment of the additional benefits from PV is also part of the project. The role of PV in an area fully supplied by renewable sources is to be assessed. Smart control should enable an increase of the market PV penetration in existing grids and promote the use of more renewable energy sources in cities and industries at minimum additional investment costs. The MetaPV project is accepted for funding by the European Commission in the 7th Framework Programme. It started in October 2009 and lasts to March 2014. The consortium consists of six partners from four EU countries.
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paper_title: Strategies for the deployment of micro-generation: Implications for social acceptance

paper_content:

Abstract Social acceptance of renewable energy innovation has often been discussed in the context of large renewable technology projects, acceptance having been seen as rather passive consent by the public. The potential importance of micro-generation technologies in the future energy supply mix and policymakers’ increasing attention to these technologies requires a different approach to the social acceptance of renewable energy innovation and energy infrastructure technologies. Instead of mere consent to an infrastructure project, domestic micro-generation requires active acceptance by homeowners, whereby individual households become part of the electricity supply infrastructure. Acceptance may therefore be expressed in various forms: attitudes, behaviour and—most importantly—investments. This paper argues that different deployment models with varying degrees of company and consumer involvement will have a significant influence on the social acceptance of domestic micro-generation and therefore the market uptake of these technologies. Three deployment models are elaborated and briefly situated in the current UK energy policy context.
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paper_title: Power Quality and Asset Management The Other "Two-Thirds" of AMI Value

paper_content:

The mission of every power delivery utility is to balance three critical metrics - reliability, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction - on the way to interrelated goals of reduced losses and improved margins which contribute to rate stability, resulting in economic development, creating growth, starting the cycle over. If any of the three critical metric components in the mission structure start to diminish, the structure leans and the balance is upset. Stabilizing "cross members" for these critical structural components include: proactive management of assets (reliability), quality product (operational efficiency), intelligent products and services (customer satisfaction). These stabilizing cross members improve a utility's chance to successfully accomplish their overall mission. An advanced Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system provides stability to the critical structural components by utilizing the detailed feedback-feedback captured from individual service and, in some cases, the loads within. The cost for a high-function system is significant, but the paybacks are legitimate and measurable. This paper details the ways that AMI stabilizes the critical "legs" that support the success your company is continually striving for. Maximum utilization of the AMI will insure success for your power delivery cooperative. The audience will learn: What asset optimization tools are provided by an AMI system; Which departments will utilize the tools, with brief summaries on how these departments will use the AMI tools; Metrics that a utility can expect to improve
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paper_title: Investigating the security of electrical power systems SCADA

paper_content:

Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems control and monitor the majority of the utility networks today. The increased number of attacks on computer systems and computer networks has resulted in an increased concern of security issues in inter-networked industrial automation systems. Internal and external saboteurs pose a big threat that could disrupt power delivery. To give us a better understanding of the nature of the vulnerabilities to supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA) systems and highlight the need to defend and protect the SCADA systems from ongoing cyber threats, we investigate the vulnerabilities and ways to protect them which are unique to SCADA systems. We achieve this by studying SCADA communication systems as well as taking a survey of common SCADA vendors; we focus our attention to SCADA on the electric power grid. We find that SCADA vendors do not implement adequate security measures in their products, and we recommend that a security policy be put in place to ensure the security of the vital public infrastructures.
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paper_title: Cyber-vulnerability of power grid monitoring and control systems

paper_content:

In this paper, a methodology is proposed for the evaluation of the impact of cyber attacks on the power grid. This is a systematical approach to evaluate the vulnerabilities of SCADA system at three levels, i.e., system, scenario, and access points. The impact of potential intrusion is evaluated based on the power flow solution. The cause-effect on the proposed method determines the likelihood of the consequence, which can be evaluated based on a substation outage. An IEEE 30 bus system is used to build a test case for the proposed method.
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paper_title: Distributed monitoring and control of future power systems via grid computing

paper_content:

It is now widely accepted within the electrical power supply industry that future power systems operates with significantly larger numbers of small-scale highly dispersed generation units that use renewable energy sources and also reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In order to operate such future power systems securely and efficiently it will be necessary to monitor and control output levels and scheduling when connecting such generation to a power system especially when it is typically embedded at the distribution level. Traditional monitoring and control technology that is currently employed at the transmission level is highly centralized and not scalable to include such significant increases in distributed and embedded generation. However, this paper proposes and demonstrates the adoption of a relatively new technology 'grid computing' that can provide both a scalable and universally adoptable solution to the problems associated with the distributed monitoring and control of future power systems.
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paper_title: Active distribution network — Demonstration project ADINE

paper_content:

Since Distributed Generation (DG) often involves renewable energy, it is important to facilitate integration of DG into existing networks. This is the aim of the EU FP6 demonstration project ADINE. It is based on the Active Network Management (ANM) concept, where automation, ICT and power electronics are used to integrate more DG by exploiting active resources instead of just reinforcing the network. The resources are mobilized through ancillary services or requirements. Five enabling solutions within ANM are pushed forward in the project: Protection relay and fault location applications, coordinated protection planning, voltage control with microturbine, centralized voltage control with SCADA/DMS and a new STATCOM. All these are demonstrated in real-life. Finally the performance of each technical solution during conditions with large amounts of DG are analyzed using a real-time simulation environment with RTDS/dSPACE. Introducing appropriate parts of the ANM concept will permit connection of more DG in distribution networks.
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paper_title: Overview of Demand Response under the Smart Grid and Market paradigms

paper_content:

Demand Response (DR) is an important ingredient of the emerging Smart Grid paradigm. Although much of the DR emerging under Smart Grid is targeted at the distribution level, DR programs are regarded as important elements for reliable and economic operation of the transmission system and the wholesale markets. In the context of Energy and Ancillary Service markets facilitated by the ISOs/RTOs, DR programs may be broadly classified as market-based or reliability-based depending on the conditions under which DR is deployed: The former provide for DR vis-a-vis economic signals, while the latter are generally triggered under emergency conditions. Depending on the ISO/RTO market design and applicable operational standards, the market products DR can offer may include Energy, Reserve Ancillary Services (i.e., Supplemental/Non-spinning Reserve, Spinning/Responsive Reserve, or Regulating Reserve), and Capacity. In this paper we first explore different facets of Demand Response under the Smart Grid paradigm. We then briefly summarize the existing and evolving Demand Response programs at different ISOs/RTOs and the product markets they can participate in. We conclude by addressing some of the challenges and potential solutions for implementation of DR under Smart Grid and Market paradigms.
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paper_title: Hydro one's smart meter initiative paves way for defining the smart grid of the future

paper_content:

Hydro One plays a leadership role in engaging the global electricity industry to advance the smart grid vision of realizing increases in system reliability and enhanced customer service including: leading a national coalition of industry partners in successfully advocating for dedicated telecommunications spectrum for smart grid critical infrastructure from federal regulators (a world-wide precedent); actively participating at the executive level in international AMI organizations (Utilimetrics, Smart Grid Development Group, USB Leadership Team, UTC); and opening our doors for delegations from Canada and around the world (US, Australia, France, Netherlands, Ireland, Japan, etc.) to share our experience, research, and vision.
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paper_title: The Utilization and Development Strategies of Smart Grid and New Energy

paper_content:

From a low-carbon economy perspective, this paper discusses the significance and prospects of the development and integrated use of smart grid and the new energy. It proposes that, for China to develop a smart grid, an overall view should be adopted to enhance the cooperation between the petroleum, the coal, the electricity and other energy industries, raising the proportion of new energy in the whole energy mix and addressing the distributed power generation issue through developing a smart grid, so that an optimal use of smart grid can be achieved, which will ultimately save the energy and reduce emissions for the whole nation. The authors of this paper hold that in today's China, the integrated use of smart grid and new energy should become the mainstream of energy development and one of the best solutions to energy-saving and emissions reduction in the future. In current China, as the electric power industry is the major consumer of the total primary energy and the situation will last for a considerable length of time, the integrated utilization of the smart grid and new energy sources that is in accordance with China's reality can optimize the energy source mix and conduce to the development of a low-carbon power industry. It is a practical way to cut down carbon emissions and shall bring long-term economic and social benefits.
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paper_title: Assessment of CO2 reduction by renewable energy generators

paper_content:

Renewable energy resources such as wind, wave, solar, micro hydro, tidal and biomass among others are becoming more important because of increasingly restricted environmental constraints. Production of electrical energy using solar energy falls next to wind energy among all renewable energy sources. While a two-state model is well suited for modeling conventional generators, a multi-state model is needed for modeling solar/photovoltaic cell generators due to the random variation of solar radiation. This makes the method of finding reliability evaluation indices of solar cell generators different from the conventional generators. This paper presents a method suited for the purpose and presents details of a reliability evaluation study on a power system with solar cell generators. Test results indicate the viability of the method.
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paper_title: Challenges and opportunities associated with high penetration of distributed and renewable energy resources

paper_content:

Increased penetration of distributed and variable generation under the Smart Grid paradigm is expected to give rise to both operational challenges and market opportunities. This presentation will point out some of these challenges and opportunities, and will in particular investigate the impact of high penetration of these resources on “reserve” Ancillary Service requirements and opportunities.
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paper_title: Smart grid communication network capacity planning for power utilities

paper_content:

A reliable communications network is essential for the future smart grid. As power utilities move toward smart grid by implementing smart metering, it is important to plan the communication network with adequate capacity to accommodate future utility growth and new applications. This paper introduces a bottom-ups method for wide area communication network capacity planning. With this method data traffic for all foreseeable future major applications are identified and their hourly traffic profiles are estimated for both “Blue Sky Day” and “Storm Day” scenarios. Forecasts for the number of customers and devices in each region of the utility's service territory are used to derive regional data traffic profiles so the regional capacity requirement can be planned. The traffic is also categorized into different applications such as smart metering; grid monitoring and control; and advanced applications. This allows the utility to develop flexible strategies for building a common communication network based on smart grid implementation plans.
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paper_title: Transformation of energy systems: The control room of the future

paper_content:

Several industry sectors have recently undergone a significant transformation of their Information & Communications Technology (ICT) systems to support both current and future business modes of operation. A notable example is the transformation of Operational and Business Support Systems (OSS and BSS) in Telecommunications. The power & energy sector is now confronting a similar change. Moreover, the industry is transforming from the traditional models of business to embrace a number of new and enhanced technologies that support future smart grid operations. This paper outlines our experience with several industry smart grid projects. This includes automated metering infrastructure as part of a smart community project, intelligent network monitoring and control providing real-time and historical data, and the capability for consumers to view and manage their carbon foot print as part of these programs. We also outline our approach to a ‘control room of the future’ that manages and leverages the capabilities of these emerging smart grid systems.
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paper_title: System for temperature monitor in substation with ZigBee connectivity

paper_content:

Monitor substation equipment temperature is one of the most important factors for power systems to ensure safe transmission of electricity. Traditional methods for monitoring the substation temperature shows many disadvantages such as low accuracy, heavy workload, lack of real-time, etc. Therefore, a low cost, high accuracy and automatic method is needed for power system. This paper presents a temperature monitor system for substation with ZigBee connectivity. Node hardware, network protocol and software on PC were presented. Finally, the implementation performance shows the sensor nodes have an automatic, small size, low power consumption, and network stability.
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paper_title: ZigBee Technology and Its Application on Wireless Meter-reading System

paper_content:

ZigBee technology is a new standard in wireless personal area after bluetooth. After an introduction to this technology, a new wireless meter-reading system based on ZigBee protocol is presented. This system, which is comprised of ZigBee network and database management system, has many important advantages such as low cost, low power consumption, and low date rate.
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paper_title: Development of an automatic reliability calculation system for advanced metering infrastructure

paper_content:

The installation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is looked upon as a bridge to the construction of smart grids; especially, while most of the power meters are still mechanical ones without digitization. An AMI consists of smart power meter, communication technology, meter data management, and associated software and hardware. After AMI has been implemented, many advanced functions e.g. automatic and accurate reliability calculation systems can be achieved. Therefore, this paper tries to develop an automatic reliability system for AMI. A ZigBee-based smart power meter with outage recording function is designed first. The ZigBee-based power meters are used to transmit the detailed power consumption data and outage event data to rear-end processing system periodically. According to the detailed and accurate data stored in the rear-end database, an automatic and accurate reliability calculation system can be designed sequentially. The customer interruption costs can also be estimated by the proposed system. Experimental results show that the proposed system has great potential to be integrated into AMI to improve the accuracy of reliability calculation.
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paper_title: Next-Generation Monitoring, Analysis, and Control for the Future Smart Control Center

paper_content:

This paper proposes a vision of next-generation monitoring, analysis, and control functions for tomorrow's smart power system control centers. The paper first reviews the present control center technology and then presents the vision of the next-generation monitoring, analysis, and control functions. The paper also identifies the technology and infrastructure gaps that must be filled, and develops a roadmap to realize the proposed vision. This smart control center vision is expected to be a critical part of the future smart transmission grid.
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paper_title: Next-Generation Monitoring, Analysis, and Control for the Future Smart Control Center

paper_content:

This paper proposes a vision of next-generation monitoring, analysis, and control functions for tomorrow's smart power system control centers. The paper first reviews the present control center technology and then presents the vision of the next-generation monitoring, analysis, and control functions. The paper also identifies the technology and infrastructure gaps that must be filled, and develops a roadmap to realize the proposed vision. This smart control center vision is expected to be a critical part of the future smart transmission grid.
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paper_title: Security , trust , and QoS in next-generation control and communication for large power systems

paper_content:

The present communication architecture supporting control of the electric power grid makes it difficult to use the wealth of data collected at high rates in substations, retarding their use in new applications for controlling the grid. A flexible, real-time data network would make it possible to use these data for many more control and protection applications, potentially increasing the grid's reliability and increasing its operating efficiency. Applications that could use these data include: decentralised load frequency control; closed-loop voltage control; transient and small-signal stabilisation; and special protection schemes using data gathered over a wide area. Such applications and the flexibility of the underlying communication network imply greater data sharing between utilities, leading to new performance, availability and reliability requirements. This paper examines the security, trust and Quality of Service (QoS) requirements imposed by these applications and shows how they are met by mechanisms included in the GridStat middleware framework that we are developing.
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paper_title: A proposed communications infrastructure for the smart grid

paper_content:

This paper explores and fortifies the need for a robust communications infrastructure for the upcoming smart grid and computes the bandwidth requirement for a hypothetical grid infrastructure. It presents the architecture of the current distribution system and shows that even for a medium-sized grid, the latency requirements of messages on the smart grid will require optical fibers as the transmission medium.
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paper_title: The ANSI C12 protocol suite - updated and now with network capabilities

paper_content:

For ten years, the utility industry has been using optical port communications, defined by ANSI C12.18, and telephone modem communications, defined by ANSI C12.21, to get metering data, defined by ANSI C12.19, from the field to the back office. While the two communication protocol standards have been employed to great success, missing was a standard method for using true ldquonetworkrdquo communications for exchanging this data. Recent work has completed ANSI C12.22, a standard for interfacing to data communication networks, as well as updating the optical port and modem communications standards. This set of standards offers the industry an open and comprehensive ldquoprotocol suiterdquo to transport the newly revised data standard, ANSI C12.19. This paper focuses on how utilities can best benefit from deploying technologies that meet those standards, in particular the newly developed ANSI C12.22 networking standard, as they begin to build advanced metering infrastructures. In particular, utility requirements being refined by OpenAMI Task Force are matched against the offerings from the ANSI protocol suite.
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paper_title: Distribution network as communication system

paper_content:

This paper proposes, using the distribution network (DN), the deployment of a common communication architecture to support different electrical services. The aim of the architecture proposed is to simplify the development of future smart grids in the current electrical systems. (4 pages)
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paper_title: Tutorial: Security in Electric Utility Control Systems

paper_content:

This paper provides a tutorial on practical security measures that can be implemented in power system communication networks. It also includes a discussion and comparison of NERC CIP regulations requirements and proven IT security implementations. This tutorial provides a straightforward look at what NERC CIP requires along with potential steps on how to comply, what basic cybersecurity practices are available today, and how these can be implemented quickly and inexpensively. This tutorial examines new security protocols in development for substation applications to achieve cybersecurity using proven and vetted IT security protocols tailored for substation use including Ethernet, serial, and modem communications links. This tutorial covers specifically emerging standards including the following: 1. IEEE P1711-trial-use standard for a cryptographic protocol for cybersecurity of substation serial links. 2. OPSAID (Open PCS Security Architecture for Interoperable Design)-Design standard vendors may use to build secure systems for use in industrial control applications. The standard comes from the OPSAID project, under the auspices of the U. S. Department of Energy Office of the Electric Delivery and Reliability's National SCADA Test Bed Program.
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paper_title: Standards for the Smart Grid

paper_content:

To get from today's electricity grid to tomorrow's smart grid with interconnection and full two way communications connection to distributed energy sources such as wind, solar, and plug-in electric vehicles requires an interoperability framework of protocols and standards.
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paper_title: Cyber Security and Power System Communication—Essential Parts of a Smart Grid Infrastructure

paper_content:

The introduction of “smart grid” solutions imposes that cyber security and power system communication systems must be dealt with extensively. These parts together are essential for proper electricity transmission, where the information infrastructure is critical. The development of communication capabilities, moving power control systems from “islands of automation” to totally integrated computer environments, have opened up new possibilities and vulnerabilities. Since several power control systems have been procured with “openness” requirements, cyber security threats become evident. For refurbishment of a SCADA/EMS system, a separation of the operational and administrative computer systems must be obtained. The paper treats cyber security issues, and it highlights access points in a substation. Also, information security domain modeling is treated. Cyber security issues are important for “smart grid” solutions. Broadband communications open up for smart meters, and the increasing use of wind power requires a “smart grid system”.
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paper_title: Metering, Intelligent Enough for Smart Grids?

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Advanced meters for electricity and gas provide two-way communication to upload commands to, and download measuring data from the meters. With a specific emphasis on the means for two-way communication, the amount of data to be transmitted and its real time requirements are analysed. Different communication means for smart metering are evaluated for suitability, penetration rate, exploitation costs, flexibility and dependability - focused on the case of region with an excellent communication infrastructure. Still, it is very difficult to fulfil all requirements for a future-proof smart metering infrastructure.
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paper_title: The Security of Information and Communication Systems and the E+I Paradigm

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This chapter will discuss the Information and Communication Systems (ICS) used in the electric power infrastructure, in light of their relevance for the occurrence and the management of risk-relevant situations. Electronic technologies found their way into power systems early on, mainly as an effective means for implementing control and protection mechanisms. The applications of those technologies, evolving from analog to digital systems, have expanded at accelerated pace. This evolution has been driven by, among others, increases in processing power, and decreases in costs and size. This massive incorporation of computerised and networked devices has changed the same character of power systems, bringing the electric power infrastructure into a new paradigm. We have denominated this the E+I paradigm, a new infrastructural service, namely “Electricity plus Information”, characterised by the integration of both elements. At the same time, it has enhanced the operational and monitoring capabilities, provided means for protecting against contingencies, and paved the way for new threats, partly due to the fallibility of ICS, partly due to their connectedness and openness that facilitate malicious attacks. In this light, it is clear that the analysis of the risks of the electricity infrastructure has to take into account the information security aspects of ICS. In order to clarify the topic, the chapter will discuss the diverse conceptual frameworks that exist for dealing with security issues.
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paper_title: The Danish Cell Project - Part 1: Background and General Approach

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The paper presents the current situation in the Danish power system, which is unique as more than 50% of the total production capacity is dispersed throughout local distribution grids of 60 kV voltages and below. This characteristic has lead to the cell controller pilot project which aims at developing a new solution for optimal management and active grid utilisation of the large amount of distributed generation present in Western Denmark.
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paper_title: System-Wide Information Management (SWIM) Demonstration Security Architecture

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System-Wide Information Management (SWIM) is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) network-centric environment that facilitates software application integration in the National Airspace System (NAS). Built on a set of five core service types - Interfaces, Registries, Message Brokers, Information Assurance and System Management - SWIM accelerates NAS evolution by defining a secure common infrastructure for application integration and a framework for information modeling and exchange. Providing information security in this distributed network-centric environment is a significant challenge. System users must be confident that their critical data is protected. Competing requirements, the transportation of sensitive data and air-to-ground bandwidth constraints mean that a network layer-based approach to security is no longer sufficient. Trusted security at every layer of a network-centric architecture - combined with strong identity management and a data-oriented approach to information assurance - is the key to success. This paper introduces the FAA SWIM demonstration security architecture, and explores some of the methods and mechanisms used to provide end-to-end security, confidentiality, integrity, availability and privacy for NAS applications and their users.
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paper_title: CIM standard for dynamic model exchange

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EPRI sponsored a project to extend the CIM standard to support the exchange of dynamic power system models needed to perform system simulation studies for system dynamic assessment and for planning purposes. Current dynamic model exchanges require customized import/export software to convert from one proprietary format to another for each pair of vendor products, thus inhibiting free exchange between different simulation/analysis software tools. The business case and extensions to the CIM UML model and the new reference manuals for both standard and user-defined dynamic models are described. Results of recent interoperability tests to validate the completeness and correctness of the proposed standard are presented. IEC TC57 WG13 is currently progressing the drafts as new international standards that will be available in 2010 for use in improving overall transmission grid reliability and security. This work directly supports the NIST Smart Grid interoperability objectives.
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paper_title: Discrete-Time Multi-Resolution Modeling of Switching Power Converters Using Wavelets

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Modeling of power electronics circuits presents significant challenges due to the non-linear time-varying behaviour of this kind of system. It is common practice to operate with families of models of different complexity depending on the analysis goal. In this paper we propose a wavelet-based approach as a unifying framework able to provide multi-resolution capabilities and consequently significant flexibility to the modeling process. The comparison with more classical approaches to power converter modeling demonstrates how this approach can be considered an extension of formalizations such as state-space averaging. Simulation results for both DC-DC and DC-AC power converters, including soft-switching configurations, are presented as sample applications. The discrete-time formulation makes this approach particularly suitable for design and analysis of converters operated with digital controllers.
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paper_title: Multiresolution modeling: an experimental validation

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Wavelet-based approaches have been proposed in the literature for different fields. In this paper we focus on an application for power electronics. In particular a three-phase inverter setup is considered as the reference platform to compare the results coming from a modeling activity with experimental data. The paper introduces the theoretical background for the state equation in the Haar domain and then describes the specific model for the application under analysis. The experimental data are finally used to verify how far the simulated data match with the real ones. The example is also used to show how the multi-resolution approach to modeling is successful for identification purposes.
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paper_title: The incremental design process for power electronic building blocks

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A key concept behind the power electronic building block (PEBB) is the use of standard building blocks to reduce the complexity associated with design of a power electronic system. But designing the PEBB modules that others will subsequently use requires a sophisticated process that supports incremental design procedures. We describe here how the PEBB design process, and application of PEBBs in systems, is facilitated by the virtual test bed software through a number of specific features. The process is illustrated with the help of an application example that best exploits some of these VTB capabilities. An important aspect of this is an original approach to load flow simulation.
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paper_title: Complexity in power systems and consequences for real-time computing

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The scale of the computational problem involved in correctly analyzing present-day and future power systems is shown to be significantly greater than in the past. Concepts for characterizing the nature and scale of the new systems and for creating new approaches to simulating them quickly enough for real-time operations are discussed.
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paper_title: The Virtual Test Bed As A Tool for Rapid System Engineering

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We outline the requirements for a software tool set that supports designers working with dynamic systems in a systems of systems context, then present the features of the Virtual Test Bed that satisfy these requirements.
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paper_title: A multilanguage environment for interactive simulation and development controls for power electronics

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Virtual prototyping of complex systems presents interesting challenges, especially with regard to systems in which different languages are used to represent different parts. We describe here one approach to solving such a problem. In particular, we describe how to integrate the virtual test bed (VTB) solver engine with the Simulink solver. This produces a rich environment for virtual prototyping of power electronic applications due to the inherent mixture of circuital and control problems. The integration is conducted within the context of the resistive companion approach. We present here the theoretical foundation of the approach, and also suggest the generality and extensibility to other solver engines such as SPICE. The theory is then enriched with some examples that illustrate the approach including the use of the VTB high-level graphic user interface.
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paper_title: Robust dispatch to manage uncertainty in real time electricity markets

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To deal with the uncertainty in the demand and the lack of compliance from generators to follow instructions, Independent System Operators (ISO) evaluate commitment and dispatch solutions for different demand scenarios (low, medium and high). A robust dispatch algorithm that guarantees the “reach-ability” of the low and high demand scenarios from the medium demand dispatch is proposed in this paper. 5-bus examples are used to demonstrate the value of the dispatch reach-ability.
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paper_title: Vision 2020 — Security of the network operation today and in the future. German experiences

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Nowadays the supply of electrical energy from dispersed generation units has an increasing significance. Hence, security related power system operation strategies have to be adapted to face the new situation. In this paper the security of power system operation from the industry and research point of view will be discussed. After presenting an overview about the current situation, the problems will be pointed out. The promising ongoing research topics which have the ability to help the network operators to manage the turn towards a sustainable power system that will allow for exploiting as much regenerative energy as possible by reaching the high standards of security will be described.
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paper_title: Energy Infrastructure Defense Systems

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Energy infrastructure faced with deregulation and coupled with interdependencies with other critical infrastructures and increased demand for high-quality and reliable electricity for our digital economy is becoming more and more stressed. The occurrence of several cascading failures in the past 40 years has helped focus attention on the need to understand the complex phenomena associated with these interconnected systems and to develop defense plans to protect the network against extreme contingencies caused by natural disasters, equipment failures, human errors, or deliberate sabotage and attacks. With dramatic increases in interregional bulk power transfers and accelerating diversity of transactions among parties, the electric power grid is being used in ways for which it was not originally designed. As the power grids become heavily loaded with long-distance transfers, the already complex system dynamics become even more important. The potential for rare events but high-impact cascading phenomena represent just a few of many new science and technology challenges. We focus on the lessons learned as well as challenges associated with accomplishing these missions, including recent hardware, software, applications, and algorithmic developments.
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paper_title: The role of Remedial Action Schemes in renewable generation integrations

paper_content:

Enabling renewable generation integration to the power grids has become an essential element of the smart grid roadmap. As electric utilities prepare to meet the Renewable Portfolio Standard goals, advanced sensing and communication technologies can be used to facilitate renewable integration. The Remedial Action Scheme (RAS) is becoming an attractive mitigation approach to maintain transmission system reliability and security, while deferring transmission capital investment. Besides, RAS can bring in valuable operation information for generation analytical model development. In this paper, the role of RAS in the mitigation of renewable integration issues is presented. A need for an effective centralized RAS implementation strategy under the framework of Wide-Area Monitoring, Protection, and Control methodology is also discussed.
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paper_title: Intelligent processing of IED data for protection engineers in the Smart Grid

paper_content:

In the Smart Grid, protection engineers should be provided with advanced tools to execute event analysis more effectively making sure the system is restored as quickly as possible. Since the manual event analysis is a time consuming process, this paper proposes a scheme for real-time automated collecting, analyzing, archiving, and displaying of Substation Intelligent Electronic Device (IED) data generated during a power system events. How the relevant information is extracted to generate a customized report, especially considering protection engineers' needs is discussed. Several intelligent IED data analysis application tools are incorporated for the purpose of effective IED data processing. A software application named “Report Generator” is developed for the purpose of data integration and information exchange to create the report with a predefined format. A simulation case is given for more detailed description of the automation process. This solution ensures high efficiency in root-course analysis aimed at understanding and trouble-shooting relay operations, resulting in improved reliability of power system operation.
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paper_title: Demand Response as a Market Resource Under the Smart Grid Paradigm

paper_content:

Demand response (DR), distributed generation (DG), and distributed energy storage (DES) are important ingredients of the emerging smart grid paradigm. For ease of reference we refer to these resources collectively as distributed energy resources (DER). Although much of the DER emerging under smart grid are targeted at the distribution level, DER, and more specifically DR resources, are considered important elements for reliable and economic operation of the transmission system and the wholesale markets. In fact, viewed from transmission and wholesale operations, sometimes the term ?virtual power plant? is used to refer to these resources. In the context of energy and ancillary service markets facilitated by the independent system operators (ISOs)/regional transmission organizations (RTOs), the market products DER/DR can offer may include energy, ancillary services, and/or capacity, depending on the ISO/RTO market design and applicable operational standards. In this paper we first explore the main industry drivers of smart grid and the different facets of DER under the smart grid paradigm. We then concentrate on DR and summarize the existing and evolving programs at different ISOs/RTOs and the product markets they can participate in. We conclude by addressing some of the challenges and potential solutions for implementation of DR under smart grid and market paradigms.
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paper_title: Smart Grid - a reliability perspective

paper_content:

Increasing complexity of power grids, growing demand, and requirement for greater grid reliability, security and efficiency as well as environmental and energy sustainability concerns continue to highlight the need for a quantum leap in harnessing communication and information technologies. This leap toward a “smarter” grid is now widely referred to as “smart grid”. A framework for cohesive integration of these technologies facilitates convergence of acutely needed standards and protocols, and implementation of necessary analytical capabilities. The paper critically reviews the reliability impacts of major smart grid resources such as renewables, demand response, storage. We observe that an ideal mix of these resources leads to a flatter net demand that eventually accentuates reliability issues further. We then present a grid-wide IT architectural framework to meet the reliability challenges. This architecture supports a multitude of geographically and temporally coordinated hierarchical monitoring and control actions over time scales from milliseconds and up.
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paper_title: Optimizing smart energy control strategies for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle charging

paper_content:

The electrification of the vehicle fleet will result in an additional load on the power grid. Adequately dealing with such pluggable (hybrid) electrical vehicles (PHEV) forms part of the challenges and opportunities in the evolution towards Smart Grids. In this paper, we investigate the potential benefits of using control mechanisms, that could be offered by a Home Energy control box, in optimizing energy consumption stemming from PHEV charging in a residential use case. We present smart energy control strategies based on quadratic programming for charging PHEVs, aiming to minimize the peak load and flatten the overall load profile. We compare two strategies, and benchmark them against a business-as-usual scenario assuming full charging starting upon plugging in the PHEV. The first, local strategy only uses information at the home where the PHEV is charged: as a result the charging is optimized for local loads. The local strategy is compared to a global iterative strategy which controls the charging of multiple vehicles based on global load information over a residential area. Both strategies control the duration and rate of charging and result in charging schedules for each vehicle. We present quantitative simulation results over a set of 150 homes, and discuss the strategies in terms of complexity and performance (esp. resulting energy consumption), as well as their requirements concerning infrastructure and communication.
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paper_title: A Reliability Perspective of the Smart Grid

paper_content:

Increasing complexity of power grids, growing demand, and requirement for greater reliability, security and efficiency as well as environmental and energy sustainability concerns continue to highlight the need for a quantum leap in harnessing communication and information technologies. This leap toward a ?smarter? grid is widely referred to as ?smart grid.? A framework for cohesive integration of these technologies facilitates convergence of acutely needed standards, and implementation of necessary analytical capabilities. This paper critically reviews the reliability impacts of major smart grid resources such as renewables, demand response, and storage. We observe that an ideal mix of these resources leads to a flatter net demand that eventually accentuates reliability challenges further. A gridwide IT architectural framework is presented to meet these challenges while facilitating modern cybersecurity measures. This architecture supports a multitude of geographically and temporally coordinated hierarchical monitoring and control actions over time scales from milliseconds and up.
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paper_title: Effects of optimised plug-in hybrid vehicle charging strategies on electric distribution network losses

paper_content:

Distribution network operators (DNOs) require assessment tools on the tradeoffs plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) technology will have on their assets. This paper employs a time coordinated optimal power flow (TCOPF) formulation to show that, through the control of PHEV storage units and tap-changers (OLTCs), electric network operators can influence savings in energy losses. Case studies are performed in which PHEV units are constrained by various charging and discharging strategies. Results indicate how DNOs can value the storage available in their networks by the way it is dispatched for each time interval. The storage resources furthest away from the grid supply point (GSP) are managed more carefully due to their greater ability to reduce transmission losses at moments of peak demand. The TCOPF tool offers a fresh perspective for stakeholders wishing to evaluate the impacts PHEVs can have on operational aspects such as load profile variation, energy loss reduction, and peak shaving.
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paper_title: Smart Grid Privacy via Anonymization of Smart Metering Data

paper_content:

The security and privacy of future smart grid and smart metering networks is important to their rollout and eventual acceptance by the public: research in this area is ongoing and smart meter users will need to be reassured that their data is secure. This paper describes a method for securely anonymizing frequent (for example, every few minutes) electrical metering data sent by a smart meter. Although such frequent metering data may be required by a utility or electrical energy distribution network for operational reasons, this data may not necessarily need to be attributable to a specific smart meter or consumer. It does, however, need to be securely attributable to a specific location (e.g. a group of houses or apartments) within the electricity distribution network. The method described in this paper provides a 3rd party escrow mechanism for authenticated anonymous meter readings which are difficult to associate with a particular smart meter or customer. This method does not preclude the provision of attributable metering data that is required for other purposes such as billing, account management or marketing research purposes.
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Title: A Survey on Smart Grid Communication Infrastructures: Motivations, Requirements and Challenges

Section 1: INTRODUCTION
Description 1: Provides an overview of the background, historical context, and the significance of smart grid communication infrastructures.

Section 2: Power Line Communications
Description 2: Details the technology behind power line communications, its generations, standards, and challenges.

Section 3: Distributed Energy Resources
Description 3: Discusses the integration of distributed energy resources, control measures, standards, and their impact on smart grids.

Section 4: Smart Metering
Description 4: Introduces Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), the role of smart meters, and associated benefits and challenges.

Section 5: Monitoring and Controlling
Description 5: Reviews the existing SCADA systems, enhanced monitoring and control strategies, and future projections.

Section 6: MOTIVATIONS
Description 6: Highlights the key motivations for adopting communication infrastructures within smart grid systems, including customer experience and environmental aspects.

Section 7: CASE STUDIES
Description 7: Summarizes several industry projects and case studies that illustrate the application and benefits of smart grid communication infrastructures.

Section 8: REQUIREMENTS
Description 8: Defines the fundamental requirements for monitoring, communication, and control necessary for effective smart grid operations.

Section 9: CHALLENGES
Description 9: Discusses the technical and operational challenges in deploying smart grid communication infrastructures, including complexity and efficiency.

Section 10: CONCLUSION
Description 10: Provides a summary of the findings, emphasizing the importance, challenges, and future directions of smart grid communication infrastructures.