Page 86 - From Smart Grid to Internet of Energy

72 From smart grid to internet of energy

2.3 Smart meters
The Smart Grid requires two fundamental devices that are sensor networks and
smart meters to monitor grid situation. Both of devices are operated with wired
and/or wireless communication infrastructures. The smart meters are robust
devices for measuring, storing, processing and transmitting power consumption
rates where they are used. Although the conventional meters are just used for
measurement of consumed energy, smart meters provide additional information
such as total harmonic distortion (THD) rates, frequency rates, power quality,
peak load times and specific interval data. Moreover, smart meters are used for
rapid detection of outages, assisting to troubleshooting and self-healing pro-
cesses, and reporting reasons of outages. The acquired and processed data
are transmitted to data management unit (DMU) over secure transmission chan-
nels by smart meters. The smart meters can inherit many measurement data
form sensor networks and smart home appliances throughout a smart environ-
ment, and they can be remotely controlled for disconnection or reconnection of
customer premises due to its two-way communication capabilities. The mea-
surement data acquired from sensors are transmitted to smart meters and then
the processed measurements are delivered to DMUs by using communication
interface of smart meter [8, 9].
The remainder of this subsection deals with hardware and device structures,
communication technologies, remote control features, DSM applications, theft
and fraud control, and security and privacy issues of smart meters.

2.3.1 Hardware and accurate metering

Although the conventional electricity meters are based on electromechanical
structures that measures consumption by revolutions of rotating magnetically
conductive disc at a proportional speed of magnetic flux, the electronics meters
do not include rotating equipments and perform measurement process by resis-
tors or sensors. Despite the benefit of rotating component removal, electronic
meters require many advanced control and calibration functions, and digital
microprocessor technologies. Even though, electronic meters eliminate many
drawbacks of conventional electromechanical meters due to increased and
sophisticated device configurations. First, they provide real time pricing
(RTP) that plays crucial role on improving DR programs and schedules even
for each individual customer. On the other hand, smart meters allow modular
configuration to enable improving tailored metering device with additional
functions such as communication options, metering requirements, and so on
except base configuration.
The fundamental function of a smart meter is to ensure regular and accurate
metering that serves basic purpose of smart grid as reducing waste consumption
and decreasing the demand at peak hours. The smart grid requires frequency
measurements acquired from entire grid in short intervals as hourly or more