Transmission & Distribution Technology
Fig. 1. With so much invested in the current power grid, utility companies and technology providers must reuse as much of the existing infrastructure as possible.
The protocols driving smart grid interoperability
Efforts are underway to create a smarter power grid by adding intelligence to the electrical infrastructure that connects energy generation, distribution, transmission, and consumption. Tony Paine reports.
T
he US Department of Energy calculates that the current grid consists of 300,000+ miles of transmission lines and about 10,000 generating units with a capacity of 1,000,000+ megawatts of energy.
It is arguably the best creation of the past century. However, due to an increasing environmentally- conscious population and a rising demand for energy, this incredible infrastructure must be revamped in preparation of future requirements. With so much invested in the current power grid, utility companies and technology providers must reuse as much of the existing infrastructure as possible. Te renovations are estimated to cost trillions of dollars, even without closing and replacing existing generation
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plants and distribution facilities. It is impractical to start over; instead, we must retrofit the existing systems for interoperability so that they can provide the information needed to make smarter decisions. Te smart grid must evolve organically from the current power grid. Proprietary protocols have historically forced utility companies to standardise on a brand of equipment for both the central system and consumer endpoint. Fortunately, a shift is underway to utilise open protocols for interoperability between different vendors. Te Internet Protocol Suite (which is a group of globally-accepted protocols used over the Internet) will be the foundation for communications. Internet Protocols provide lower-level communications
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