Key communication technologies, applications, protocols and future guides for IoT-assisted smart grid systems: A review

Abstract

Towards addressing the concerns of conventional power systems including reliability and security, establishing modern Smart Grids (SGs) has been given much attention by the global electric utility applications during the last few years. One of the key advantageous of SGs is its ability for two-way communication and bi-directional power flow that facilitates the inclusion of distributed energy resources, real time monitoring and self-healing systems. As such, the SG employs a large number of digital devices that are installed at various locations to enrich the observability and controllability of the system. This calls for the necessity of employing Internet of Things (IoT) to achieve reliable integration of all digital devices and proper tracing of various apparatuses in the grid. In this paper, the communication technology, architectural design, cutting-edge applications, and protocols of IoT-assisted SG systems are comprehensively reviewed. The main concerns, future challenges, and research gaps of IoT-assisted smart grid systems are highlighted in detail. Based on this review, key findings are concluded to pave the path for further research directions on IoT-assisted SG systems.

Keywords

• Internet of things
• Interoperability
• IoT protocols
• Layered models
• Smart grids