DATA COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR SMART GRIDS

Smart grid is currently a hot topic in regard with power grid development trend in India as well as abroad in recent years. As the operation of smart grid relies heavily on two-way communication this paper introduces various data communication systems and technologies that are essential in Smart Grids. The concepts of communication channels and switching techniques must be understood for proper understanding of the functioning of a smart grid. The communication infrastructure of a power system consists of SCADA system with dedicated communication channels to and from the System Control Centre and a Wide Area Network (WAN). Some longestablished power utilities may have private phone networks and other legacy communication systems. However, with the advent of smart grids it is expected that these two elements of communication infrastructure will merge into a utility WAN. There are various communication sub-networks that make up the smart grid employing different technologies. This paper attempts to explain various communication technologies employed at sub network level and different standards used for information exchange.