Group 11: Felipe Andrade (604878173), Elona Khoshaba (805585709), Andrew Polonsky (405568919)

Introduction

As US energy demands increase alongside extreme weather conditions, it is paramount to have robust, reliable, and efficient electrical power distribution systems across the nation. Traditional power grids rely primarily on one source of centralized electricity generation – fossil fuels – which limits their flexibility and increases their vulnerability to outages [1]. Moreover, lack of real-time monitoring and control capabilities hinders optimization of these traditional grids. In recent years, “smart grid” systems have been implemented via use of the Internet of Things (IoT), which refers to a network of interconnected devices that exchange data with each other over the internet. Smart grids utilize IoT devices to detect, analyze, and monitor the electrical grid at various points. Data collected at power plants, transmission lines, and homes can help monitor power consumption and distribute energy more efficiently from decentralized and renewable sources of energy [2]. As illustrated in Figure 1, smart grids facilitate small-scale transmission, enabling localized power generation. This reduces transmission losses while increasing the flexibility and scalability that traditional grids lack.

A key technology adopted by smart grids is advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). AMI facilitates two-way communication between utilities and consumers through smart meters [2]. Unlike traditional meters which take monthly measurements, smart meters report detailed data on energy usage in near real-time. This granular understanding of power consumption allows better integration of variable renewable energy sources to the grid and maximizes their usage. In addition, efficient communication links help consumers track their energy consumption patterns, empowering them to make informed decisions about their usage habits. By modernizing metering infrastructure and providing synchronous data, smart meters play a crucial role in the transition to smart grids. It is imperative to understand their technical underpinnings to gain insight into next generation electrical smart grids.

Fig 1. Pictorial representation of traditional electrical grids versus next generation smart grids. Decentralized and local sources of energy, as well as two-way communication links, are key pillars of the smart grid [3].

System Overview of Smart Grids

Smart grids require two-way communication networks to collect and transmit data from both power generation facilities and consumers. As depicted in Figure 2, a typical smart grid consists of power generation from the utility provider, power usage sensed at the consumer end with a smart meter, and control blocks to regulate the flow of energy. To implement this smart metering system and make informed decisions on the collected data, a series of equipment and software must be installed throughout the grid. At the consumer level, electricity sensors are typically placed outside homes to collect power data every 15 minutes to an hour. These sensors are connected to nearby power poles and substations in the grid infrastructure [4]. At the substations, a series of data concentrators process and consolidate data from various homes, ultimately transmitting it wirelessly to the utility company. The consolidated data can then be processed for analysis, monitoring, and smart decision-making about power delivery and usage.

Fig 2. Block diagram overview of a typical smart grid system [5]. A microcontroller typically receives data from the smart meter, and serves as the control unit block.

A Deeper Look into Smart Metering Systems

A central component to smart grids are digitized electricity sensors. These sensors are called smart meters, and are integral to AMI. They provide the ability for daily collection of voltage and current data on the consumer end through two-way communication systems. There are several advantages to frequent data collection, as opposed to the traditional once a month collection systems. For instance, a greater reservoir of data empowers consumers to fine-tune their consumption behaviors, accelerates the detection time of power outages, improves the accuracy of energy consumption data, and enables utility companies to pinpoint specific areas of improvement within the current system.

Fig 3. Smart Meter Block Diagram [5].

To realize smart metering, a system installation is required outside consumer residences, connecting to nearby power lines and grid substations. A typical system consists of a microcontroller, a power supply, an electricity sensor, and a communication unit. A detailed block diagram of a smart metering device is shown above in Figure 3. The microcontroller acts as the main control block of a smart grid system. It is responsible for maintaining cohesion of the entire smart metering unit, performing the majority of the data processing, and executing machine learning algorithms to interpret the collected data. The electricity consumption sensor is responsible for collecting the data processed by the microcontroller. It is an integrated sensing circuit that collects voltage and current data from the power line and computes apparent, active, and reactive power values from them. It then sends this data to the microcontroller for more in-depth processing.

The microcontroller also determines which energy source should power the metering system. The power supply for smart meter units consists of two sources that the microcontroller may choose from. The first is AC power from the grid, which is converted to DC power by voltage regulators and supplied to the necessary components in the system. The second source is from battery power, which is charged up by the main AC line, or in the case of grid failure, by solar panels. When necessary, the microcontroller sends out a control signal to a switching circuit to select which source the system draws power from.

To enable wireless data transfer between consumer smart meters and utility companies, smart metering systems employ three common communication protocols through its communication unit. The network is implemented in three stages so that data can be collected across large geographic areas. The lowest level stage is the land area network (LAN) which oversees data communication between consumers’ home appliances and smart meters themselves. LAN employs communication protocols such as Bluetooth and WIFI, which function at low power and small ranges. Next, data from LAN flows to the neighborhood area network (NAN), where it is encoded through flowgates before being transmitted to the cloud. The cloud consolidates large quantities of energy data across different smart-metered homes in the neighborhood. Finally, the wide area network (WAN) collects all the processed data in the cloud and handles the transmission between that and the utility side [6].

In this way, a smart metering system provides detailed information on power usage that can be used to enhance decision making in the power grid. The fundamental IoT system consists of a microcontroller, energy sensor, and communication module to control the flow of data. By analyzing trends on this energy consumption data, consumers and utility providers can mitigate energy waste and save costs.

Conclusion

The evolution of IoT systems and renewable energy sources pave the way for creating reliable and flexible next-generation smart grid systems. Meeting the ever-growing energy demands of the modern world, while using clean and efficient energy, is integral to a sustainable future. Monitoring electricity usage on both the utility and consumer end of the grid is a key piece of the puzzle in grid modernization. Smart meters and AMI enable real-time monitoring, two-way communication, and precise data collection that can optimize energy usage from utility companies and users.

On the consumer end, these systems consist of power delivery and storage circuits, an energy measurement unit to obtain voltage and current data, a non-volatile memory module, a communication unit to send out the data to other points in the grid, and a microcontroller to facilitate all of these functionalities in an organized manner. Together, these components form an integrated system that empowers consumers to monitor, control, and optimize their energy usage, while also directing communication with other entities within the energy grid. This enables more efficient energy distribution, improved grid reliability, and better integration of renewable energy sources and energy storage technologies.

Final word count: 1278

References

[1] C. Rahmann and R. Alvarez, “The role of smart grids in the low carbon emission problem.” Springer Link, Jan. 31 2022. [Accessed Feb. 18, 2024]

[2] “Smart Grid,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_grid [Accessed Feb. 18, 2024].

[3] J. A. Hassan and B. H. Jasim, “Design and implementation of internet of things-based Electrical Monitoring System,” Bulletin of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, Oct. 27 2021. [Accessed Feb. 18, 2024].

[4] E. Miller, D. Abbasi, “Smart Grid Overview,” Trilliant Inc. and Mission Point Capital Partner. [Accessed March 17, 2024].

[5] N., Gayathri & V V, Vineeth & Radhika, N, “A Novel Approach in Demand Side Management for Smart Home,” Procedia Technology. Volume 21, 2015, Pages 526-532. [Accessed March 17, 2024]

[6] Fadi Al-Turjman and Mohammad Abujubbeh, “IOT-enabled Smart Grid via SM: An overview,” Future Generation Computer Systems, Volume 96, 2019, Pages 579-590. [Accessed Feb. 18, 2024]