Page 304 - From Smart Grid to Internet of Energy

Internet of things for smart grid applications Chapter 7 271

such as Bluetooth Low Energy, IEEE 802.15.4 based advanced modems, IEEE
802.11 based area network technologies, and mobile communication genera-
tions such as UMTS, LTE, LTE-A and 5G.
Moreover, the advanced computer and internet technologies such as IPv6,
security and interoperability standards, and improved communication protocols
have leveraged IoT communication and its integration to smart grid infrastruc-
ture for several application requirements. The increased data transmission rates,
decreased transmission latency, and improved coverage features of these
advanced communication technologies meet the most demanded communica-
tion requirements of IoT applications [33, 36].
IoT provides several technologies that can deal with data transmission and
processing requirements of smart grid applications. The architecture should be
appropriate for interconnection of things on the internet cloud. Thus, some
prominent abilities are required to be provided by communication infrastructure
in IoT framework. First, the communication system is expected to have low
power consumption since high majority of IoT devices are powered by batteries.
On the other hand, communication system should cope with security and reli-
ability issues. The protocols and communication standards incorporate several
control and detection methods. Moreover, and most important, the communica-
tion system should be complying with internet network in terms of data trans-
mission. In other words, the communication system is required to be associated
with TCP/IP protocols [37].
The open standards reference model represents five-layer IoT architecture
as shown in Fig. 7.5. The communication standards seen on physical layer
(Layer 1) and data link layer (Layer 2) have significantly improved on IoT
architecture owing to the contributions of IPv6. Although the layers are orga-
nized independent from each other, the reference model allows optimizing by
cross-layer connection, and by using application-programming interfaces
(APIs). The data link layer provides MAC enhancements, Logical Link Control
(LLC) for 6LoWPAN, IPv6 over Ethernet, and IP or Ethernet convergence sub-
layer features. The network layer of reference model includes addressing, rout-
ing, QoS, and security architecture. The transport layer manages the security
based on Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) protocol that provides
communications privacy for datagram transmission.
The protocol allows client/server applications to communicate in a way that
is designed to prevent eavesdropping, tampering, or message forgery. The pri-
vacy and communication security of IoT reference model provide a tailored
architecture for smart grid applications where reliability is crucial. The DTLS
protocol is based on the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol and provides
equivalent security guarantees [38, 39]. The application layer also provides
security as network and transport layers do. The encryption methods of Layer
5 are ANSI C12.22, Device Language Message Specification (DLMS/COSEM)
that is a standard for electricity metering data exchange under IEC 62056 set
which plays vital role in smart metering and AMI applications of smart grid