Smart, utility-grade Wi-Fi mesh for distribution grids

All over the world, utilities are facing tremendous changes and challenges driven by deregulated markets, decentralized alternative power generation concepts and resulting Smart Grid requirements. Smart grids need a demanding and reliable 2-way communication infrastructure; not only to manage the backbone but additionally to secure supervision and control along the distribution lines down to the end user equipment including its power consumption & production behavior. Market deregulation has brought an increased cost pressure, the need to minimize aggregated commercial and technical losses (ATC) and on top of it contractual obligations for a defined service delivery performance. To achieve these goals, a robust, high performing and cost-efficient communication infrastructure is required. Technically however, there is no unique solution that can be proposed, because each utility is exposed to very individual internal and external restrictions such as already existing infrastructure, network topologies, specific applications and, last but not least, legislation/market regulation.

The main focus of this paper is about wireless solutions for the distribution layer, particularly the use of Wi-Fi Mesh for utility-grade applications. It's a demanding environment where the various flavours of IEEE 802.11 standards need to be combined with special measures to comply with the utilities’ and customers’ expectations.