Design Article
Modern power line communication for the smart grid
Ivan Gatchev, product marketing staff engineer, STMicroelectronics
3/5/2012 11:24 AM EST
Page 4
In the future, Electric Vehicle to Grid (V2G) Communication will allow utilities and consumers to manage the process of charging plug-in electric vehicles, providing the much needed ability to control the amount of energy consumed from the power grid during peak hours. The emerging V2G standards will provide a common communication technology for the physical & data link layer.
The new IEEE P1901.2 low frequency (less than 500 kHz) narrowband power line communications standard is designed to provide the new benchmark of performance and reliability while offering interoperability with the existing "PRIME" and "G3-PLC" OFDM technologies.
The new P1905.1 defines an abstraction layer for multiple home networking technologies. It integrates P1901 with other home networking technologies. The abstraction layer provides a common data and control Service Access Point to the heterogeneous home networking technologies described in the following specifications: IEEE 1901, IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.3 and MoCA 1.1.
Conclusion:
From the early usage of power line communication, in Automatic Meter Reading (AMR), to replace the technician from the utility company, reading power meters in person, with an automated process, the industry has come a long way.
Today, power line communication is used in micro-inverters for solar or other new alternative energy power sources, electric vehicle charging, concentrators, smart meters, thermostats, home automation and factory automation, street lights control etc.
The evolution from smart metering to a smart grid today is a key milestone. Many groups and industry consortia are working on the definition of a common communication protocol for smart grid services, like: OPEN meter project, Meters and More Association and PRIME Alliance (created by large European utilities such as Enel/Endesa and Iberdrola to promote and maintain field proven and widely deployed PLC technologies), IEEE P1901.2 (the new emerging working group inside IEEE dedicated to narrowband PLC) and HomePlug Alliance, the leading group in broadband power line communication.
About the author:
Ivan Gatchev received a Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in 1987. He joined STMicroelectronics in 1999, and has been working in Product Marketing for Dedicated Products and later in ST’s Analog, Power and MEMS organization. Before joining ST, he worked as a Field Applications Engineer in the Semiconductor Industry for several years and earlier in his career in the RF & Microwave industry in various roles. He is now focused on industrial application-specific products. Ivan is based in Santa Clara, CA, USA, in the heart of Silicon Valley.
In the future, Electric Vehicle to Grid (V2G) Communication will allow utilities and consumers to manage the process of charging plug-in electric vehicles, providing the much needed ability to control the amount of energy consumed from the power grid during peak hours. The emerging V2G standards will provide a common communication technology for the physical & data link layer.
The new IEEE P1901.2 low frequency (less than 500 kHz) narrowband power line communications standard is designed to provide the new benchmark of performance and reliability while offering interoperability with the existing "PRIME" and "G3-PLC" OFDM technologies.
The new P1905.1 defines an abstraction layer for multiple home networking technologies. It integrates P1901 with other home networking technologies. The abstraction layer provides a common data and control Service Access Point to the heterogeneous home networking technologies described in the following specifications: IEEE 1901, IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.3 and MoCA 1.1.
Conclusion:
From the early usage of power line communication, in Automatic Meter Reading (AMR), to replace the technician from the utility company, reading power meters in person, with an automated process, the industry has come a long way.
Today, power line communication is used in micro-inverters for solar or other new alternative energy power sources, electric vehicle charging, concentrators, smart meters, thermostats, home automation and factory automation, street lights control etc.
The evolution from smart metering to a smart grid today is a key milestone. Many groups and industry consortia are working on the definition of a common communication protocol for smart grid services, like: OPEN meter project, Meters and More Association and PRIME Alliance (created by large European utilities such as Enel/Endesa and Iberdrola to promote and maintain field proven and widely deployed PLC technologies), IEEE P1901.2 (the new emerging working group inside IEEE dedicated to narrowband PLC) and HomePlug Alliance, the leading group in broadband power line communication.
About the author:
Ivan Gatchev received a Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in 1987. He joined STMicroelectronics in 1999, and has been working in Product Marketing for Dedicated Products and later in ST’s Analog, Power and MEMS organization. Before joining ST, he worked as a Field Applications Engineer in the Semiconductor Industry for several years and earlier in his career in the RF & Microwave industry in various roles. He is now focused on industrial application-specific products. Ivan is based in Santa Clara, CA, USA, in the heart of Silicon Valley.
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SimulinkJocky
3/7/2012 10:38 AM EST
Please don't let this morph back into another broadband over power lines (BPL) mess. Even 500 Khz is getting a bit high for a network of wires that were designed for 60Hz power distribution. The leakage of unintended noise from BPL systems along with the intrusion of signals from real radio transmitters made that other service bad.
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Dr D
3/7/2012 1:44 PM EST
Ditto on the previous comment. There is too much broadband noise in the HF spectrum already. What will this generate when connected to a infinitely large antenna system like the grid.
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anne-francoise.pele
7/30/2012 5:45 PM EDT
Click on the link below to check out the collection of Design Articles, Case Studies, Product How-To articles,... related to Power Line Communication that have been published on Smart Energy Designline.
Check back frequently. The list will be updated as new articles arrive.
http://www.eetimes.com/design/smart-energy-design/4390953/Power-Line-Communication---Design-archive?Ecosystem=smart-energy-design
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sanjaac
10/12/2012 6:29 AM EDT
IFindNickNamesAnnoying and Dr D: You are wrong. NB-PLC is well on its way, and selling a lot. And performing like a breeze. Ask in Spain, if you want.
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