Smart communication networks standards for smart energy management

Abstract

This paper reports on a study focused on smart energy management using advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). The paper digs into AMI communication standards understood and proposed by power utilities and regulators. Furthermore, the paper discusses a study of different AMI communication networks architectures designed by various proprietors and compares these system architectures with requirements stated by utilities and regulators. It appears that most AMI architectures are proprietary which hinders flexible interworking of components from different vendors. Without standard AMI design principles, utilities face inflexible choice of system components. Furthermore, this inflexibility makes it harder and more costly to support this type of equipment design approach. Standardisation and collaboration is important to ensure interworking of equipment from heterogeneous manufacturers. Applying standardised principles in design of interfacing and communication technologies used to interconnect the AMI components promotes interworking of systems. For a system to be classified as an AMI system, it must meet certain functional requirements. It should provide a two-way communication between the utility and the consumer. It should have built-in automatic configuration and control. The system should run over a communication network. AMI meters have connect/disconnect functions, and quality of supply reporting system. Other services AMI systems support are load control switch for load limiting capability, fault reporting system, and tamper detection for revenue protection. At control level, load management system and vending management systems are included. This paper reports on different proprietary architectures and analyses them in terms of functional requirements and need for standardisation. The AMI system communication network architectures are compared with standards defined by utilities in countries such as South Africa, China and the United States of America.