Page 115 - From Smart Grid to Internet of Energy

Smart grid network architectures Chapter 3 99

connections. Lastly, the standard expresses a chain of area networks that are
superposed over the energy/power domains. Connection of devices across
the whole SG network is basically provided by this chain of area network.
The model of E2E communication proposed by the standard is also depicted
in Fig. 3.1, which includes the public internet as an interface on top of the area
networks.
Although communication architecture of the SG is defined by IEEE 2030-
2011 standard in a hierarchical arrangement, actual challenge is to develop
harmony between various technologies and to adapt them into limited the infor-
mation and communications technology (ICT) infrastructures. Therefore, three
subnetworks have been defined for the SG communication systems. First sub-
network consists of building area networks (BAN), home area network (HAN),
and industrial area networks (IAN) that are well-defined to be used at consump-
tion site. Second subnetwork named the local area network (LAN) that is used at
distribution site of the power network comprises of neighborhood area network
(NAN) and field area network (FAN). Third and last subnetwork is the widest
network among the three and termed as wide area network (WAN) which allows
communication ranging up to several km. The WAN consists of a number of
LANs, virtual private networks (VPNs) and data management systems (DMSs)
for transmission level operations [6, 7].
The connection along applications and conceptual reference model of SG
architecture is provided by the communication networks as shown in Fig. 3.1.
The key attributes of SG are the generation, transmission, distribution and con-
sumption, which may perform even better if the overall communication infra-
structure use in the SG is split into private networks, core networks and WANs.
For the control and management of power plants and substations, digital sub-
scriber line (DSL) and fiber optic wireline connections behave as the ICT
backbone network. The WAN, LAN, NAN, FAN, BAN, HAN and IAN type
networks are used for the particular control and management of applications
from the generation level to the consumption level [6, 8]. Distributed energy
resources (DER) integration is also used at the generation level of SGs along
with traditional power generation, and the generation level is associated with
the transmission level by using step-up transformer as shown in Fig. 3.1. The
WAN networks provide the ICT interface between generation and transmission
levels in order to guarantee the connection of domains and supervisory manage-
ment system. The LAN, NAN, and FAN networks are employed for connecting
the distribution and micro grid management systems to distribution level and
substations. The distribution level contains micro grid and substation distribu-
tion that assure two-way power flow. The consumption level is classified into
residential, industrial, and substation loads. The HAN is used as communication
interface for management system in case of residential loads whereas BAN and
IAN are employed for industrial and substation loads. The WAN plays a vital
role to establish connection among substations, energy storage systems (ESSs),
DERs, feeders, transformers and other bulk equipment. The WAN provides