A Survey of Communication Technologies for Smart Grid Connectivity

Fahad Khan1, Atiq ur Rehman1, Muhammad Arif1, Muhammad Aftab1, Baber Khan Jadoon2
1
Department of Electrical Engineering, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad, Pakistan.
2
Department of Electronic Engineering, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan

Email: {fahadkhan, atiqjadoon, marif, maftab}@ciit.net.pk, jadoonbk@gmail.com

Abstract The traditional electric power system is examining
a transformation process to an intelligent, efficient, and cost-
effective smart grid (SG) system. The SG has different
subsystems for its accurate functionality. Among these
subsystems, the communication subsystem plays a vital role for
real-time data sharing between devices and systems connected in
SG domain. In this paper, a survey of smart communication
subsystem is provided and several communication technologies
that have strong potential for implementation in future SG
applications by electric utility companies are discussed. The
advantages and disadvantages of each communication technology
in the SG domain are also presented. Finally, a hybrid
communication model is suggested for reliable communication
between smart meters and control system in the SG.
Keywords- Smart grid; NIST conceptual model; Wireless mesh
networks; Zigbee; Fiber-optic communication; Power line
communication; Hybrid communication infrastructure.
I. INTRODUCTION
The real-time power monitoring and control have
encouraged electric utility companies to integrate the physical
power system with information and communication
technologies (ICT). This new setup, which provides a bi-
directional flow of power and information, is called a smart
grid (SG) [1]. The power monitoring and pervasive use of
sensing/control in the SG enables manifold benefits such as it
reduces inefficient power delivery, identifies electricity-theft
and avoids malfunctions in the power system, etc.
Typical SG applications such as smart metering and
demand side management (DSM) require a cost-effective and
high quality data communication infrastructure. There exist
many technologies that can play significant role in providing
communication in the SG [2][5]. These technologies for the
SG communication include wireless communication, fiber-
optic communication, power line communication (PLC), etc
[6], [7]. The selection of communication technology in SG
depends on geographical aspects (e.g. buildings, mountains),
economical conditions, etc.
The SG infrastructure can be subdivided into three main
parts; smart energy subsystem, smart information subsystem
and smart communication subsystem. In this paper, a survey
of smart communication subsystem in SG is provided. The
paper describes the communication technologies that have
strong potential to be implemented by electric utility
companies to enable pervasive data communication in the SG.
The pros and cons of several communication technologies are
also discussed. The rest of the paper is organized as follows.
Section II presents an overview of SG. The communication
technologies and suggested network for SG communication
are explained in Section III followed by conclusions in Section
IV.
II. AN OVERVIEW OF SMART GRID
In power engineering, grid is a term used for an electricity
system that delivers power from generation points to
consumers, and may perform some or all of the following
functions [8]:
1. Electricity generation.
2. Electricity transmission.
3. Electricity distribution.
4. Electricity control.
A grid without sufficient control, sensing and communication
features is simply a power broadcaster. It is the deployment of
control and automation mechanism through two-way
communication in power grid that makes it smart [9]. This
emerging future power grid is called SG. SG provides clean
and green methods of energy generation, efficient
transmission, distribution, and control mechanism [10]. SGs
have intelligent electricity transmission network for two-way
flows of energy and information. A bi-directional
communication enables utility companies to achieve three
main goals-intelligent monitoring through sensor utilization,
secure as well as reliable power supply, and load balancing.
SG is also called as smart electrical grid, intelligent grid,
futuregrid, intergrid, or intragrid. In SG, the utilization of
digital control system for electricity generation, transmission,
and distribution provides a fully automated electricity
distribution network. SG has many distinguishing features
compared to the existing grid, which are shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 1. Distinguishing features of SG.

978-1-5090-1252-7/16/$31.00 2016 IEEE


Fig. 2. The NIST conceptual model for SG [12].
The European Technology Platform (ETP) SmartGrids
scheme of SG implementation is described in [11]. The
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
models SG as a transformation of traditional grids to the next-
generation power system equipped with ICT. NIST provides a
reference model that divides the concept of the SG
standardization into seven domains as shown in Fig. 2. SG
increases the coordination between utilities, consumers and
networks that are used for information transmission or local
power distribution. The integration of distribution and bi-
direction information infrastructure brings benefits to both
utilities and users. The low cost and efficient power delivery is
ensured in the SG because of quick response to events, fault
detection, and diagnosis.
The SG infrastructure can be subdivided into following
three main parts;
1. Smart energy subsystem-This portion consists of the
power generation, transmission grid, distribution
grid, and development of essential models of the
future SG, i.e, microgrid and Grid-to-Vehicle (G2V)
and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G).
2. Smart information subsystem-This part comprises of
sensor, smart meter, phasor measurement unit, and
information management domains.
3. Smart communication subsystem-This subsystem
provides the wireless and wired communication
networks for information exchange and end-to-end
communication management.
The next section provides different communication
technologies for implementation in SG domain.
III. COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR SG
The seamless connectivity of users with grid is essential in
the SG for useful information sharing among systems,
consumers, utilities, and others SG related applications. The
researchers and industrialists have experimented extensively
to implement suitable networks for the SG system by utilizing
wireless and wired communication. It is widely agreed that the
network and communication technology used in providing
connectivity in the SG domain should be capable to provide
the four targets, which are summarized in Fig. 3. A brief
description of these four targets is provided here.
Fig. 3. Essential attributes of SG communication network.
1. Quality of Service (QoS): The communication network in
SG should provide the required quality of service (QoS)
for vital data communication [13]. The underlying
network technologies must ensure delivery of critical and
delay sensitive data, such as grid status information, on
priority basis in cases of congestion over the shared
network.
2. Reliability: The communication network should be
capable to provide reliable and efficient data
communication. Even when some elements in a system
unexpectedly fail or network undergoes congestion
problem, the network should provide communication.
3. Security: The communication subsystem should be able to
provide data security and privacy. It should be capable of
handling attacks and avoid the penetration of an
unauthorized user into the network. One of the biggest
challenges regarding SG is the cyber security such as
false-data injection attack [14], [15]. The communication
network should have a protocol specifically implemented
to avoid cyber threats.
4. Pervasive availability and scalability: The users in the SG
are widely distributed. The communication network
should be as such that its coverage range is high, such that
all end-users are connected to grid at all times. In
addition, as number of substations and remote devices in
SG increases, the communication network should be able
to deal with them. Therefore, pervasive availability and
scalability are also key ingredients of the underlying
communication network in the SG context.
Extensive field tests have been also performed so far to design
out a rational solution for the communication technology that
best suits the requirement in SG paradigm. The optimal
solution for communication network with required features
can be achieved by utilization of a hybrid network that
integrates both wireless and wired technologies.
In the following discussion, a detailed analysis of the wireless
and wired communication technologies are presented that will
help to provide connectivity for communication in the SG.
A. Wireless Communication Technologies for SG
Recently, the implementation of the wireless technologies for
SG connectivity has shown a dominating role. The increasing
trend in the implementation of wireless networks and
standards in the SG is mainly because of the inherent features
of mobility, low-cost and ease of installation that wireless
technology is offering. In case of SG, the wireless connections
from user to grid station consist of various types. A number of
wireless technologies for electric grid automation and remote
monitoring are available [16]. As depicted in Fig. 4, the two
options exist for electric utilities to apply wireless
technologies in the SG. One option is to use the existing
public network (such as cellular network) and the other
method is to design a new wireless communication network
for the SG services. In this subsection, we will provide an
overview of those wireless communication technologies that
have strong potential to be utilized in the future SG
applications. Each wireless communication technology has it
own pros and cons which must be evaluated for viable
communication in the SG.
1. Wireless Mesh Networks
Wireless mesh network (WMN) is an emerging next-
generation wireless communication network where radio
nodes are arranged in a mesh topology. WMNs are suitable for
implementation in the SG because they provide large coverage
and high data rate communication with low power
consumption. This is achieved through multi-hop
communication. WMNs have ability to provide spatial
diversity where disabled or congestion facing nodes are
bypassed, enabling robustness and resilience against
connection failure [17]. A wireless mesh communication
protocol for residential smart-metering applications is
proposed and evaluated in [18], and it has been shown that the
proposed protocol is resilient to node-failure and bit-errors. A
detailed survey on protocols, algorithms and open research
issues in WMNs is presented in [19].
Advantages and Disadvantages
WSN enables reliable communication in cases of network
congestion or some component failure. WSN has low power
consumption due to multi-hop communication. Moreover,
WMN is also capable to self-organize and self-configure.
Therefore, if some nodes/devices fail in the SG, the overall
performance of system is not affected.
The disadvantages of WMNs include scalability and
performance issues because as node density and number of
hops increases, WMN capacity and throughput decreases
rapidly. WMN has also a limited battery life time. However,
this problem can be overcome in the SG by using stationary
nodes where mesh routers can be plugged into an electric
outlet.
2. Wireless Communications based on IEEE 802.15.4
For both data gathering as well as command/control
applications in SG, three wireless communication standards
based on IEEE 802.15.4 are suggested to be a choice for
implementation [16]. These three standards of IEEE 802.15.4
protocol stack are ZigBee, WirelessHART and ISA100.11a.
These standards are specifically developed for low data rate
applications.
Fig. 4. Implementation of wireless communication in SG.
Zigbee is a widely used wireless communication technology in
the home area network (HAN) for smart metering systems.
Zigbee has 16 channels in the frequency band of 2.4 GHz,
each with 5 MHz of bandwidth. Zigbee is designed to ensure
low power and long battery life, provides low data rates and
secure networking. The NIST have recommended ZigBee and
ZigBee Smart Energy Profile (SEP) to be used as a standard in
the consumer premise of the SG [12]. WirelessHART uses
mesh network topology and operates in 2.4 GHz band.
ISA100.11a is a protocol developed by the International
Society of Automation. In SG, it is recommended to use IEEE
802.11 for surveillance applications and WirelessHART or
ISA100.11a for wireless sensor applications.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The advantage of Zigbee is its low power consumption with a
250 Kbps data rate suitable for most applications in HAN.
The disadvantages of Zigbee are the interference from other
appliances such as WiFi and Microwave due to the unlicensed
spectrum of Zigbee. There are some serious issues that limit
Zigbee utilization in SGs such as low processing capabilities,
small memory size and small network life.
3. Cellular Communication Networks
Electric utilities can save the cost that will be needed for
installing new communication network by using existing
cellular networks such as GSM [20], 3G [21], or 4G [22]. The
provisions of wide-area coverage and accommodation of
hundreds of thousands of users for future SGs are dominant
characteristics of cellular network. It is expected that for
transporting information from homes back to operations centre
in SG, 3G/4G network will play a leading role.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The benefits of cellular communication networks includes the
cost-savings by electric utilities that will be required for
installing cables or wireless systems, and mobility features of
cellular communication that are especially suitable in SG for
providing connectivity to moving vehicles (Plug-in-vehicles).
The disadvantages of cellular communication networks are the
limited coverage and radio frequency interference (RFI)
responsible for poor performance of cellular communication
technology. Due to limitations in signal transmit power and
RFI, low bandwidth capacity is achievable in cellular
networks. Since, cellular network communicates in a shared
medium, the average data rate per user is lower than the total
bandwidth capacity [23]. Security concern also exists in
cellular communication and requires some security protocols
to be implemented to avoid unauthorized information access.
4. Satellite Communication
In scenarios where no infrastructure (such as telephone and
coax) is available for communication, satellite communication
can be utilized. The satellite communication has capability to
provide the global coverage, bandwidth-on-demand flexibility
and rapid installation which is a feasible option for remote
generation plants and substations in the SG. Satellite
communication can be used to inter-connect heterogeneous
networks, and as communication links for users either with
mobile or fixed terminals. Satellite Global Positioning System
(GPS) provides microsecond accuracy in time
synchronization. For better performance and low cost, Low
Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites
were deployed as access networks for users. There
performance is highly appreciable as they have fiber-like
delays.
Satellite communication is an excellent alternative for remote
monitoring and automation of SGs. In monitoring of rural
substations, satellite services have already been deployed [24].
In cases of equipment disaster, network congestion or
terrestrial link failure, important traffic in SG systems can be
routed through satellite network.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The benefits of satellite communication include global
coverage and can provide cost-effective solutions for remote
monitoring and control of transmission and distribution (T&D)
substations, which otherwise will need high expense for
installation of wired network.
The disadvantages of satellite communication are the high cost
for launch and maintenance of satellites, short life-time span,
large delay, and weather dependant channel behaviour, which
reduces satellite communication utilization in SG applications.
5. Microwave or Free Space Optical (FSO) Communication
Microwave communication uses radio waves for point-to-
point communications. The frequency of microwaves is very
high and thus small antennas are enough for transmission with
high bandwidths. Free-space optical (FSO) communication
has emerged as a commercially viable alternative to RF and
millimeter-wave wireless for reliable communication in SG.
FSO uses light in free space for point-to-point data
transmission and enables very high data rates (>1 Gbps). The
use of extremely narrow beam in FSO provides a highly
secure communication. Therefore, for rural or remote
substations monitoring applications, a backhaul
communication network can be formed by using microwave or
FSO communications.
Advantages and disadvantages
Microwave and FSO communication enables high data rates.
FSO communication can provide secure communication.
The disadvantage of microwave and FSO communication is
that both microwave and FSO communication require line-of-
site (LOS) between sender and receiver. Therefore, microwave
and FSO communication performance is affected by obstacles
and weather conditions.
Although wireless communication technologies are utilized in
SG communication, the wired technologies also play an
important role in the SG network. The wired links have high
capacity and reliability compared to wireless links. The next
sub-section explores wired communication technologies for
SG.
B. Wired Communication Technologies for SG
The wired technologies for SG are briefly described here.
1. Fiber-Optic Communication
The large deployment of optical networks exists for terrestrial
communication. The already available fiber network can serve
as a backbone communication network in SGs [25]. The
optical fibers due to their high speed are the best transmission
medium in SG services such as video that has high latency
requirements [26]. Optical systems provide transmission rates
upto 10 Gbps for single wavelength transmission, with even
more high transmission rates of 40 Gbps to 1600 Gbps for
wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). To ensure
reliability and safety of electric power system, the accurate
measurements of electric current value and electric voltage
value is essential. Moreover, the optoelectronic transducers
have found to be excellent sensing properties for accurate
measurement of electric current and voltage value. They
provide several advantages compared to electromechanical
transducers. Hence, the optoelectronic equipment deployment
together with communication over fiber networks will be
expected to increase in coming era, and fiber-optic
communication will be a dominant candidate in SG
communication network [8].
Advantages and Disadvantages
The capacity and bandwidth of fiber-optic communication is
many times greater than any other wired or wireless link. The
fiber-optic communication provides excellent bit error rate
(BER) performance [27]. The radio and electromagnetic
immunity of optical signal makes optical fiber a secure and
reliable communication network. Optical fiber communication
is the most cost-effective choice for long-distance
communication than other available technologies because very
few numbers of repeaters are required. For example, T-1 or
coax communication needs repeater at the distance of every 2
km, but optical fibers communication needs repeater
installation at 1001000 km [28].
The installation of fiber optics network for remote control and
monitoring of substations is quite expensive. This
disadvantage can be overcome by utilizing fiber optics
network backbones in the communication networks that are
spare [27].
2. Power line Communication (PLC)
PLC is a very rational solution for communication in
monitoring and remote control application in the context of
SG [8]. Power line communication, also known as PLC, is a
No New Wires technology which enables secure, reliable,
and ubiquitous connections from the existing power lines
infrastructure that are widely available [10]. PLC requires no
new infrastructure and cabling, the AC-outlets in homes can
be used for data communication. Therefore, PLC provides
pervasively available communication network. PLC is
currently being utilized for applications such as automated
meter reading (AMR), in-home local area networks (LANs),
etc [29].
PLCs can be classified on the basis of their frequency
bandwidth into two categories; broadband PLC or narrowband
PLC (NB-PLC) [30]. NB-PLC is well-suited for SG related
applications such as smart metering, where low data rates are
sufficient [31]. PLC have been already deployed and analyzed
for fault detection and location in medium voltage power line
networks [32][34]. A remarkable work has been presented in
[35], where authors have reviewed methods for joint
transmission using the power line and wireless channels to
improve reliability issues in the SG.
The actual role that PLC is going to play in future SG is still
an open issue [27]. This is mainly due to several technical
problems and regulatory issues in PLC that have not been
properly resolved.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The power line network is the only network that is available
almost in any part of inhabited areas [26]. Therefore, PLC can
provide extensive coverage. This will be advantageous for
remote substations in rural areas [27]. PLC does not need
installation of new cablings; the existing power line with few
new devices can serve as a medium for carrying
communication signals. This incentive of PLC may encourage
Fig. 5. Hybrid communications infrastructure using wireless communications
electric utilities to develop cost-saving methods for remote
and PLC network.
monitoring [27]. PLC is the only wired network that has
deployment cost comparable to wireless technologies [36]. In Fig. 5, the short haul communication from smart meters
The disadvantages of PLC are the followings: The power lines to data concentrator can be performed by using wireless
have highly time varying nature, and the channel has noisy technology (such as Zigbee or GSM). However, in cases of
characteristics due to noise sources such as power supplies, network congestion or disaster, residential LV power lines can
electric motors, and radio interference [23]. Therefore, high also be used to deliver data. Furthermore, the communication
BER results in communication over power lines which of information from the data concentrator to the control
degrades PLC acceptance as a reliable communication system can be performed by using PLC technology. This
medium. Some researchers have expressed security concerns enables a cost-effective and effective communication
about the utilization of PLC network for data communication infrastructure which enables continuous communication
[22]. The untwisted and unshielded nature of power lines connectivity of smart meters with databases.
produces Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) that can be
received through radio receivers. This causes unauthorized
information access. However, to avoid unauthorized IV. CONCLUSIONS
information access from power lines, data encryption may be
A communication network is an essential part in the SG
used.
system for efficient and real-time energy management.
Many researchers have worked to model the characteristics
Researchers have been actively involved in determining the
of a PLC channel. However, these channel models are unable
most suitable communication infrastructure for SG services. In
to completely describe the time-varying and frequency-
this paper, an investigation of the communication subsystem
selective characteristics of PLC channel. Therefore, PLC
aspects in SG is presented and essential requirements for a
channel model has not been standardized. PLC needs serious
communication technology in SG domain are highlighted.
attention from utilities and standardization bodies for its
Moreover, the paper has characterized several wireless and
widespread acceptance in the context of the SG [27]. Efforts
wired communication technologies that have strong potential
are required to evaluate the limits of transmission power and
for implementation in SG for intelligent data communication.
frequencies to provide reliable communication without any
The advantages and disadvantages of the communication
interference with radio and electromagnetic signals. PLC
technologies in the SG are also presented. An infrastructure
modems have high cost and they present EMC issues [3]. NB-
for cost-effective and reliable communication between smart
PLC standardization is also an important concern that should
meters and databases is also suggested, which can solve many
be address to deploy PLC in SG paradigm.
of the reliability issues in the SG.
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