Page 119 - From Smart Grid to Internet of Energy

Smart grid network architectures Chapter 3 103

Interoperability of technologies for a widespread purpose like HEMs is a sig-
nificant apprehension due to the utilization of different technologies in SG,
and also their solutions have to be acknowledged by the market. Security
and privacy of the end user are critical problems that have to be handled.

3.2.2 Building area networks (BANs) and industrial area
networks (IANs)

Monitoring and controlling user devices and exchange of information with the
utilities are the main tasks of a BAN similar to the HAN. However, coverage
area of BANs is larger than the HANs since they have to cover whole building
which further comprise of several apartments and offices. The BAN can be con-
sidered as a collection of HANs connected through a building SM that is usually
placed at point from where power is fed to the building. Electronic household
appliances, several SMs and BAN GW are the components of a BAN. The BAN
GW collects, analyzes, and stores data from SMs and then transmits to a NAN
GW. Monitoring of the power demand and usage of residents of the correspond-
ing building can be done by BAN GW. The BAN can also transmit information
received from NAN GW to the SMs. Since cost is very important, in order to
accomplish data transmission with cheaper methods, data are combined such a
way that wireless communication done in BAN-HANs become economical.
Through this combined data, more broad coverage can be achieved by passing
through cellular carriers in the form of groups. Generally, HAN SM is used
where computational and storage requirements are usually low, therefore often
considered as resource-constrained device, whereas BAN SM is used as central
node server because of its capabilities to provide more high spectacles. This net-
work scheme may also serve to micro grids where electricity can be generated
by exploiting renewable energy sources (RESs) such as biomass, tidal power,
solar energy and wind energy. Because of the abundant number of network
components, data rate requirement of a BAN is higher when compared to
a HAN.
An IAN is a communication network design for industrial environments that
comprises of controllers, connected sensors, and specialized software designs
for building management. Building automation and energy management appli-
cations for industrial buildings or multi-buildings are tackled by the IANs in
order to optimize energy, economic and environmental performance of whole
active devices. A micro-grid is an essential element of IAN likewise to the
BAN. Nonetheless, micro grids used in this network scheme possess higher
capacity and complexity when compared to the BANs. Moreover, SMs emplo-
yed in IANs should have the ability to read supplementary information such as
quality of power, voltage fluctuations, and phase measurements due to refined
application requirements of the industry.
Several joint characteristics and design principles are shared by the HAN,
BAN, and IAN schemes although there are a number of dissimilarities between